Overwatch 2 has had quite a divisive launch. From the moment Overwatch 2 first dropped on October 4, it's garnered some pretty harsh reviews from both critics and fans alike. While the actual gameplay is still as excellent as ever, it's Overwatch 2's rough business practices that have disappointed long-time fans. By swapping to a live-service, free-to-play model, fans would have naturally expected Overwatch 2 to be a better deal than its predecessor, but for many, they're disappointed with the over-reliance on in-game currency, the removal of loot boxes, and the severe lack of new content, and Blizzard's latest move has just continued to disappoint.
Just yesterday, Blizzard announced that the Winter Wonderland event Bastion skin, which gives the DPS character a festive gingerbread makeover, will cost just one Overwatch Coin for a limited time. Described by all of Blizzard's socials as a "Sweet Holiday Surprise," a large portion of the fan base isn't quite as stoked for the practically 'free' skin.
Overwatch 2's 'Free' Bastion Skin is Odd and Disappointing
In the first Overwatch, players could unlock skins through several different means. Players could directly purchase the skins they wanted from the Overwatch store, they could try their luck at opening loot boxes, or they could unlock some for free by playing the game's many limited-time events. One of the most divisive aspects of Overwatch 2 has been its removal of loot boxes, essentially forcing players to buy skins or purchase the Battle Pass, as there's simply no alternative.
To make matters worse, Overwatch 2's store has some pretty insane prices. When the game first launched, Legendary skins cost a whopping 1,900 Overwatch Coins, and an Epic skin cost 1000, this basically translates to $19 and $10 respectively. In response to widespread backlash, Blizzard dropped the store prices by quite a bit, reducing Legendary skin prices to 1000 coins, and Epic skins to just 250. While this is much more reasonable, these prices are still pretty high, and Blizzard didn't do itself any favors with Overwatch 2's shaky, controversial launch.
Now, Blizzard is offering the exclusive Winter Wonderland Bastion skin for just one Overwatch Coin. On paper, this sounds like an incredible deal. Players get a Legendary skin, and an event-exclusive one no less, for just one Overwatch Coin, which works out essentially as just one cent. However, there's a little more to this than meets the eye. If players purchase the Bastion skin for one Overwatch Coin, they'll then have an uneven number of coins. With all of Overwatch 2's cosmetics costing an even number of coins, this makes it impossible for players to be able to spend that uneven number of coins, and in some cases, this could force players to purchase another set of Overwatch Coins just so they have an even number needed for a future purchase.
It's not the most heinous move, but it does seem like an odd move for Blizzard. It would have made much more sense to have given the Bastion skin out for free, especially when Blizzard's marketing around the decision expects fans to rejoice at the news. Though Blizzard probably didn't mean anything malicious by making the Bastion skin cost 1 Overwatch Coin, some fans can't help but see that, with Blizzard making some pretty shady decisions over the last few months, especially when it comes to Overwatch 2. Thankfully, Blizzard has added some limited-time challenges to Overwatch 2 that let players redeem a handful of coins, along with the ability to convert Microsoft Rewards Points to Overwatch Coins to help players feel like they're getting treated, as opposed to feeling played.
Overwatch 2 is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
