Blizzard has done the impossible - it's got gamers liking loot boxes. No, not because it improved upon the controversial microtransaction, but because it replaced them with something even worse: the Overwatch 2 battle pass.

Described as unrewarding and grindy - and tied to an in-game store that's overpriced - Overwatch fans are longing for the days of randomized loot. They also complain that the change in how to earn in-game currency is making them "toxic", as they're primarily focused on completing challenges to unlock skins, rather than enjoying the game. All in all, players are looking for big changes to Overwatch 2's economy, feeling that it's taken on far too many of the negative traits associated with free-to-play games.

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One of the most active discussion threads on the Overwatch subreddit right now is titled "We didn't realize what we had until it was gone", referring to the loss of loot boxes.

"Remember how fun it was to grind out loot boxes for holiday events?" says Reddit user Lord-Canti. "Like when the Christmas event was going on you'd see everyone running around showing off their new Christmas skins and emotes? It was great but now you just get a measly amount of credits for doing annoying weekly challenges. Overwatch 2 feels so unrewarding to play."

The biggest annoyance for many players is the fact that the only way to earn currency without paying is to complete weekly challenges. One of which involves getting ten team kills - which is actually reduced from the original 20.

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"I feel like I'm missing out simply because I'm unable to pay up or grind it out with the little free time I have," says int0th3v0id. "It feels so scummy, unrewarding, and unfun. I find myself resentful towards OW for making the game so stressful. I've found myself becoming more toxic because I want to win to complete the challenges, when I used to not care about winning."

However, not everyone in the subreddit is looking at the past through rose-tinted shades. While agreeing with the criticisms against the battle pass, Ranrokk points out that loot boxes were still manipulative, often containing limited-time loot to incentivize spending.

And of course, it must be said that loot boxes weren't simply disliked because they were annoying. A study in 2021 also stated that loot boxes are "structurally and psychologically akin to gambling", and suggested that a third of players buying loot boxes could be classed as "problem gamblers". However, with this many Overwatch 2 players complaining about the new system put in place, the battle pass hardly seems to be an improvement.

It remains to be seen if Overwatch 2 rebalances its economy. In the meantime, you can make the most of a double XP weekend to try and nab some more loot from the battle pass.

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