Activision Blizzard's Overwatch 2 launches for free as battlepass system divides playing community

The sequel to Activision Blizzard's billion-dollar hit, Overwatch, launches for free on Tuesday - unlike its predecessor's premium price tag on release day.

The follow-up to the multiple award-winning strategic first-person shooter's business model has divided the Overwatch community due to its introduction of a 'battlepass' system.

Battlepass is similar to that found in Call Of Duty, where players work through sequential levels of prizes depending on how much and how well they play.

The change has been designed to fund fans' desire for regular new Overwatch content, which has been thin on the ground since development of Overwatch 2 began.

The once regular updates dried up once news of the sequel's development broke, prompting regular outcries from players.

Today, though, their calls are answered - but not without controversy.

The free-to-play model is one the developers are favouring more due to the numbers of players the non-existent price tag attracts.

It will come as some relief to many gamers and parents struggling through the cost of living crisis.

Overwatch 2 also reduces the team size, moving from a 6v6 model to the slimmed down 5v5, a host of new, intricately designed maps and new heroes.

However, despite Overwatch 2 being free of charge, it will demand in-game payments to unlock content faster than if a player was to work towards it.

'We have big ambitions for the content'

The battlepass system has been the most contentious change to the game's recipe.

Players will be able to unlock all in-game content if they play long enough, but players that decide to pay the $10 for the premium battlepass will unlock heroes (playable characters) and cosmetic items faster than those who don't.

Game Director of Overwatch 2, Aaron Keller, told Sky News the primary goal of the battlepass and in-game shop was to generate revenue.

He said: "The primary goal of that is for us to fund development for the game.

"We have big ambitions for all the content we're going to be putting out there and we're going to be doing it frequently… every two seasons we have a new hero coming.

"We need a way to fund that, honestly, it's just part of the business, so what we're looking for is a way that we think is fair and hopefully feels like it can be rewarding for players.

"If people want to play the game and earn coins and use those to unlock things in the shop immediately, they're able to do that."

Mr Keller acknowledged that in-game purchases and the free-to-play model can be controversial: "I know it's easy to poke holes in any parts of these, it's such a touchy subject, it's so hard to talk about, it's hard to design.

'Having to play for hours is jarring - even greedy'

"We spent so much time, more time designing this than anything else we've done over the past year because we understand that it's really important to players."

Not everyone shares Activison Blizzard's view that the battlepass system is in players' interests.

Imogen Mellor, Twitch streamer and Features Producer for PC Gamer, told Sky News of her concerns: "The issue with Overwatch 2's battlepass is that it wasn't in Overwatch 1.

"Fans aren't used to the idea of putting money consistently into Overwatch as the original game was a one-time purchase with years of support.

"We see (battlepasses) in all hero shooters from Apex Legends to Valorant.

"But because Overwatch didn't have one, this change to consistent purchases and having to play for hours to earn its rewards is jarring and alien and, to some players, even greedy."

Professor Mark Griffiths, Director of the International Gaming Research Unit in the psychology department at Nottingham Trent University, told Sky News "microtransactions within gaming is one of growing concern given how much players can end up spending especially if spending money on battlepasses is the only way to progress in a game".

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"I'm not anti-gaming or anti-microtransactions as long as there is a social responsibility infrastructure in place that educates and informs players about possible risks of overspending."

Overwatch 2 will allow players to unlock certain benefits such as new heroes without having to purchase any in-game content, a relief to many players.

However, the new edition will entirely replace Overwatch 1, so fans of the first instalment will not be able to go back, and will be forced to embrace the battlepass as the future of the franchise, no matter what.

It can be tough producing a sequel to a runaway success such as Overwatch - how well it's regarded by the fanbase, only time will tell.