Blizzard won’t sell Overwatch loot boxes after Anniversary Remix Vol. 3

destructoid.com:

Overwatch‘s third Anniversary Remix event is finally here, and it will be the last that we know of — unless it rolls over into the sequel. The seasonal event has been a fan favorite, not just because you can get some cool limited-time skins, emotes, and voice lines in Overwatch loot boxes, but also because you can replay other limited-time game modes from the other seasonal events.

While it’s exciting that the Anniversary Remix is back yet again, Blizzard announced some not-as-exciting news along with it: players will no longer be able to buy loot boxes after the end of the event. To be clear, you’ll be able to purchase loot boxes up from now until August 30 as part of the Anniversary. However, this just applies to the purchase of loot boxes — you can still earn standard loot boxes in gameplay after the event is over.

As would be expected, more changes are coming after Overwatch 2 launches, namely that loot boxes will be done with altogether because the game will be replacing its predecessor.

Because Overwatch 2 will be free-to-play, it will be adopting the seasonal model, which will include both free and paid battle passes. In addition, players will be able to purchase individual cosmetic items as well, in case there’s just that one skin you can’t live without. It took me a few years to get the Witch Mercy skin back in the day, so I wish this had been an option a few years ago, to be honest.

While this feels like the end of an era, it’s probably for the best. Loot boxes can be pretty exploitative, especially for games with younger player bases like Overwatch.

Some countries are banning the practice entirely, so it was only a matter of time before we see the randomized loot box model phased out of games entirely.