Overwatch 2’s Steam launch met with “Overwhelmingly Negative” reviews

destructoid.com:

Overwatch 2 has been available for a while on multiple platforms, though it was in Early Access. With the Invasion update, the game left early access and officially launched on August 10.

Reception hasn’t been particularly good, and the game currently sits with “Overwhelmingly Negative” user reviews on Steam. The main reasons for the review bombing relate to how the free-to-play model was implemented, as well as the lack of previously promised content.

One of the main criticisms Overwatch 2 is facing is that it is far more money-oriented than its predecessor. For example, some Heroes and game modes are locked behind a Battle Pass system. They can be unlocked through normal gameplay, though paying players can simply bypass it all. Some content has also been cut from the game, including the planned PvE Hero Mode.

Explaining why this is the case, Blizzard’s Aaron Keller wrote a blog post revealing how plans were made but developers struggled to find their “footing with the Hero Mission experience early on,”  leading to the decision to cut it. The Invasion update does come with PvE Hero missions, but they are locked behind the Battle Pass system, leading to further annoyance.

When scrolling through the user reviews, it is easy to see a trend among the complaints. They’re succinctly summarized in Steam user BraySC’s review: “They released Overwatch 2 as a free-to-play business model, which leans more heavily into microtransactions, overpriced skins and predatory behaviour. To make matters worse, they shut down the first game, making it unplayable for people who purchased it, meaning the player base has to move over to this free-to-play business model to keep playing the game.” There are also plenty of mentions of Blizzard’s