Why Overwatch 2 Adding Battle Passes is a Smart Move

gamerant.com:

In an Overwatch 2 Reveal Event on June 16, fans got various updates on the game's progression. It seems Overwatch 2 is in full swing and ready to start churning out content for its player base with a set date for the next PvP beta, which will now include consoles such as Xbox, Playstation, and Switch, along with more details on the upcoming PvE storylines.

Both Game Director Aaron Keller and Production Director Paul Haile confirmed that Blizzard is ambitiously planning to release new content every nine weeks, along with three new Overwatch 2 heroes at the start. However, one of the more controversial topics, which was not fully detailed in the 40-minute live stream, was the official confirmation that battle passes would be coming to the game, beginning at the launch of Overwatch 2 Season 1.

Overwatch 2 Beta Sign-Ups Are Now Live

The Overwatch community has suffered from a lack of updates and new skins for the past few years, but the addition of battle passes in place of loot boxes could be a place to start, in terms of offering players more consistent content. The game developers confirmed in the live stream that the sequel will be entirely free-to-play, meaning that Overwatch 2's monetization system will rely more heavily on in-game purchases.

The addition of battle passes comes with several positives and negatives, and at the moment what exactly this means for the game has been speculated about a lot. Keller stated that the planned updates and battle passes are meant to ensure «that there’s always something new to play, chase, and unlock» for users. Having a goal to reach by the end of every season with rewards attached can be a good incentive for many players.

The current system of Overwatch loot boxes often gives