Overwatch loot box hoarders say goodbye

pcgamer.com:

The original Overwatch is coming to an end, and loot boxes are the first thing to go.

Starting today, all leftover loot boxes will be automatically opened in preparation for Overwatch 2(opens in new tab)'s arrival next month, but some Overwatch players wanted to do it themselves before Blizzard took control. Tuesday was the last time you'd ever be able to see the box jiggle like a Poké Ball and spew an assortment of skins and other cosmetic items into the air, and some streamers marked the occasion with hours-long box opening frenzies.

Over the last few days, Overwatch players held last-minute unboxing sessions like it was 2016 again—a more innocent time, when loot boxes weren't close to being banned(opens in new tab) in several countries, and when it was still exciting to see all the creative little doodads you could show off in your matches.

Outside of purchasing bundles of loot boxes for real money (which is no longer possible(opens in new tab)), you can gain loot boxes a number of ways in Overwatch. Every time you gain enough XP to level up your account, you gain a loot box. If you queue as an underplayed role—which is often tank—you gain a loot box. And if you maintain a high endorsement level from other players voting on your attitude in a match, you'll randomly gain a few as a reward.

Most people open them immediately (their contents are decided the moment you earn them), but some people, like me, find it fun to hold onto them and watch the number on the main menu go up.

Twitch streamer Pixipui(opens in new tab) spent almost five hours unboxing 1,228 loot boxes on Tuesday. «Get your blankets people, because this is going to be long,» she said at the start of it. The rest of the stream was basically a Just Chatting