Overwatch 2 heroes aren't an early battle pass unlock

pcgamer.com:

When Overwatch 2 launches in October, all of its cosmetics will be tied to an entirely different set of systems than the original game—loot boxes are gone, long live the battle pass.

Overwatch 2, like so many other live service games, will have a battle pass, an in-game shop, and a regular set of rotating challenges that award battle pass XP. The Overwatch battle pass has standard cosmetic items like skins, weapon charms, and emotes, but it will also have entire heroes—starting with the newest support hero Kiriko(opens in new tab), all new heroes will be tied to the $10 (or 1,000 Overwatch Coins) premium pass.

Buying the premium pass unlocks heroes immediately, but getting them for free will require reaching Tier 55 out of 80.

That's how things will work normally, but Blizzard is holding a special promotion for Overwatch 2's launch. Everyone that owns the original Overwatch and logs in during the first season will get the Season 1 premium battle pass and Kiriko instantly. If you purchase the $40 Watchpoint Pack, which includes the premium battle pass, 2,000 Overwatch Coins, and skins for Cassidy and Soldier: 76, you'll start with Kiriko too. For everyone else, you'll need to progress all the way to Tier 55 or buy the premium battle pass.

It's all a bit confusing, especially for veteran Overwatch players who are used to simply receiving new heroes with no strings attached. Blizzard is using this sequel break as an opportunity to adopt the same model that most service games use these days, but that hasn't stopped players from feeling upset and betrayed(opens in new tab) that heroes are now tied directly to our purse strings.

In a group interview(opens in new tab) with PC Gamer, Overwatch VP and commercial leader Jon