Blizzard confirms new Overwatch 2 heroes are linked to its battle pass

gamedeveloper.com:

Blizzard's Jon Spector confirmed on Twitter that the upcoming Overwatch 2 will include heroes in its battle pass system. This comes following a (now removed) section of a description for the game's Watchpoint pack saying the first season's new hero would be available instantly on the premium track, while players with the free battle pass have to earn the character by playing the game. 

"New Overwatch 2 heroes will be available on the free track of the Battle Pass," said Spector, who added that the information in in the Watchpoint pack was "incomplete." 

It's a marked change from the release model of Overwatch 1, where new heroes were given to all players for no extra cost. This new model will sound familiar to those who play online games like Apex Legends, where new characters cost money or can be bought for free using in-game currency gained while leveling up.

Addressing some incomplete info posted early about our Overwatch 2 Battle Pass – we'll be sharing all details ahead of launch, but want to confirm that new Overwatch 2 heroes will be available on the free track of the Battle Pass.

For players curious about trying out new characters sooner, this is may a way for Blizzard to earn revenue from those interested players.

While the Watchpoint pack costs $40 and includes other in-game items, it's unclear how much a season's battle pass on its own, and the character that comes with it, will cost. Other online shooters from similar developers have priced their season passes at $10.