F2P Business Model for OW2

General Discussion
1

I judge the temperature of OW by reading the forums.

I know it’s not an accurate representation, but I feel it’s a vocal and important one. Mostly because I’m an active game forum user, habit from WoW and LoL days. And I abhor Reddit.

Anyways, I read a lot of suggestions for a F2P model which I endorse. F2P offers a larger audience that would otherwise not have access to Overwatch.

But the model that works for LoL can’t work for OW. Hero paywalls would hurt, mostly because OW is all about switching.

“So what restrictions would the F2P offer, and how could you monetize OW with another model?”

I can read your mind.

Well some say that campaigns/lore should be paid, while other modes is free. But that opens the door to ladder smurfs. I don’t think there are that many smurfs currently. I feel like smurfs is just another blame deflection coping method. But if competitive ladder was open to F2P, we certainly would get an influx of smurfs.

So here’s my model. It’s complex, if you can’t follow don’t reply.

One Time Payment: Lore/Campaign Missions/Regular Ladder (Cosmetics and LB earnable)

This is self explanatory. Love the lore? Pay for it. Like PvE? Pay for it.

It also opens up the regular ladder, with ranking etc. Basically what we have now. So buying any campaign packs once would open up the regular ladder forever.

F2P: Arcade/QP/Workshop only. Can’t earn LB. No cosmetic switching. No Events Participation

This would open up the audience to OW, but the limits is enough to incentivize paying for upgraded model.

Monthly Sub: Path to Pro Monthly Solo Queue Ladder

This mode is for the sweaty tryhards. There is no rank, but we earn tokens. Tokens are used to apply for OWL’s D league. Basically, a Path to Pro avenue. Tokens are also used to buy OWL skins.

I feel like this model would enlarge the current pool, but still limit smurfs. Let’s face it, would a smurf want to keep buying campaign packs just to torment lower ranks?

And a monthly sub for the path to pro seems logical. If you really want to go pro, you need to shell out some deneroes. Shouldn’t be a lot, maybe $3/month. Earning tokens can be used to either buy OWL skins, or enter the D league for a chance to go pro.

The OTP part is like what we have now, pretty much.

I really think this model can help OW succeed. I could be wrong, and if someone wants to play devil’s advocate I welcome you too.

Cheers!

2

Making the game F2P would be the perfect ending to such a disastrous development.
Literally no sense of what the community wants whatsoever.

2 Likes
3

You didn’t read it. Good, moving on.

4

I read it and it doesn’t make any sense… where are people saying they want F2P? How in the world would that make the state of the game any better? If anything they should be implementing systems that stop smurfs and hackers, not make the game more accessible to them.

Overwatch is much more competitive than any battle royale or F2P game. The model doesn’t work for a game as competitive as OW.

2 Likes
5

Bruh… I mean, I’ll say it again… Bruh…

6

now way this dude said make OW a subscription game

5 Likes
7

You find it. I am here a lot. I read the forums a lot. You have 20 posts. I am not doing the work for you.

I never said it would make the ‘state of the game’ any better. I said it would open the doors to a larger audience.

You didn’t read it. Sigh…

I will repeat myself because you can’t read long form text.

A paid subscription would open up a tournament ladder with rewards and path to pro.

A one time payment can be made to open up lore/campaign. This would also offer regular ladder. Basically what a premium model would do.

Which is why I suggest a paid monthly model for competitive players. But if you aren’t that competitive, you can play regular ladder if you bought a campaign pack.

Would you like me to repeat myself some more? Or can you take the time to read my post. I know it’s long. Reading isn’t for everyone.

Yes I did. The sweaty tryhards need a monthly. It limits smurfs, and gives someone a proving ground on how good they are. Plus, it lets them open up OWL skins to earn. Let’s face it, the sweaty tryhards are probably the OWL fans too. And it;s a path to pro. A real one. Not the useless one we have now.

8

It has to go F2p at least for QP, but they will push into Comp and in turn that will make that mode a mess. Requiring SMS auth would be a fair step, if you cant afford a phone or make some other arrangement, tough.

I heartily endorse a minimal fee for this, like $5 USD. It won’t happen though, it should but it won’t, the whole “no barrier to access” mindset is ruling right now. However, at some point Comp will go F2P, OWL will die and it will be a moot point.

9

Aka more smurf, bot, thrower, troller.

10

Yeah and? My opinion. You can disagree. That’s fine.

QP and maybe workshop/arcade can be F2P.

Except I’m trying to open up the game to a larger audience. Making more restrictions is not conducive to it.

I disagree.

Didn’t read. Moving on.

1 Like
11

You can disagree all you like, that is where it’s inevitably going. Without SMS auth (and lets be honest, 99% of the players in OW have a phone or access to one)… you have no way to limit alting/smurfing.

12

How about no…

Just give people the option to pay for stuff if they really want to

13

Don’t you see, this model is exactly that!

Want lore? Pay for it. Want to prove how good you are? Pay for it. Want to just play ladder but not that sweaty of a try hard? Pay for it.

But if you don’t want specific things, than don’t pay for it.
Want to just play the game? Well that’s free.

1 Like
14

Make free version hurt more than be good thing.
Look at csgo how bad F2P was and thank God they aren’t free any more.
Plus who can’t afford for 20 bucks into big game like ow?

15

Your entitlement is showing. Please go back home with your computer and multiple cars and multiple televisions and forget about the rest of the world.

16

Not many people are asking for a F2P model, but honestly can see it happening in the future. Chaining comp, PVE, and workshop to subscription or PVE expansion packs makes sense.

Like the idea of a tournament system. Been needed for a long time.

17

Then ask different price based on different country like what steam do.
But big no for free product.

18

Perhaps, but regardless this can help grow OW.

Thank you. If Blizz really wants a path to pro, it needs to be a specific mode in the game.

19

the question is who do you want to address?
The game has been released since 2016, that’s almost 6 years now. during this time there were a number of discount campaigns and free weekends. In addition, we have (had) 60 million real accounts.
Means everyone who had or has even had some interest in Overwatch either has an account or has at least tried it. I therefore assume that the number of potential new players through F2P is rather low.
The number of more cheaters and smurfs will probably be greater than new players.

20

I’m sorry, did everyone just stop growing? Is no one aging. My son wants me to teach him Overwatch. I have met countless parents that play Overwatch with their kids. The audience will always have a potential to grow, because there will always be more to reach.