Before I begin, as a general disclaimer, I’m not claiming that the game isn’t fun, or that you can’t find a way to enjoy the game, but merely pointing out a flaw in the design of the reward system of the game. The contents of this post are the author’s opinions, and you are free to agree or disagree.
What makes a game rewarding? The most obvious answer is of course the presence of a reward. For some players it is loot, for some wealth, some player power, perhaps for still some others skill, fame, infamy, etc. So, what is the fundamental reward mechanic within the game of Overwatch 2? For context, let’s examine how the game has evolved over time.
When Overwatch 1 first released, it was a paid game with a box price of $39.99 USD for the Standard Edition. You had the option of buying the Origins Edition with a handful of cosmetics for a total $59.99, but it was by no means mandatory. Within the game itself, you had the option of buying what were then called “Loot Boxes” containing an assortment of random goods of unknown value at a rate of around $1.99 for 2 boxes, with every box containing 4 items. Items were assigned different “rarities”, and each Loot Box was guaranteed to contain at least one item of at least “Rare” rarity. Players could also earn these Loot Boxes by simply playing the game and accumulating “Levels” which were granted to the account. There were various events and other ways to earn additional Loot Boxes per day, for example Queuing as Tank Role in Role Queue or other equivalently unpopular modes of play, but the main method of gaining Loot Boxes was simply by playing the game.
Now let’s skip ahead to the release of Overwatch 2. The box price is removed making the game Free to Play. Loot Boxes and the leveling system were also removed from the game to make way for the new Battle Pass system, in which players have the option to pay a flat rate of $10.00 USD for the “privilege” of several weeks of grinding for nonrandom items. For those unwilling to pay, a Free Track is available containing 19 items of various qualities, in comparison to the Paid Track which contains a total of 64 items, with many of the items being of higher quality than those of the Free Track.
Now how does this all tie in with game design and reward systems? In terms of operant conditioning, giving a player free Loot Boxes just for playing would be considered a form of “Positive reinforcement”. Positive reinforcement generally makes a behavior stronger and more likely to occur again in the future. For example, if a player is given an item of value for playing the game for a certain duration, the player feels rewarded and is likely to want to continue playing the game to receive similar rewards in the future. It should also be noted that the random nature of Loot Boxes causes this effect to be stronger, as unscheduled (random) rewards tend to be stronger than scheduled (nonrandom) ones. This is what makes systems like Loot Boxes and gambling so addictive.
On the other hand, the removal or withholding of such a “reward” would be a form of “Negative punishment”. In contrast to a reinforcement, a punishment makes a behavior less likely to occur again in the future. In the case of the Free Track Battle Pass system, the negative punishment is the withholding of rewards which can only be avoided by paying $10.00 to unlock the Premium Battle Pass. In short, the difference is this: In Overwatch 1 players were rewarded for simply playing the game, while in Overwatch 2 players are (on balance) punished for simply playing the game, and “rewarded” for paying money (although really this is a transaction, not a reward). This leads to the dichotomy of whether one should play the game for free and be punished, or fork over cash (a price equivalent of a punishment) to gain access to rewards. In both situations, the player is punished either gradually in the first case, or initially in the second.
This brings us to an important question. Why did the developers design the game as such? Was it their intention to punish the player, making them less likely to want to play the game? Certainly not, since their stated goal is to increase player retention in order to fuel sales. But why would they implement such a system if it goes against their stated goals? Maybe only the developers know the real answer to this, but my educated guess is that it was an attempt to replicate the success of other games in Blizzard Entertainment’s collection, namely World of Warcraft. So why would a similar system that worked so well in World of Warcraft not work in Overwatch 2? First, let’s explain the reward system of WoW.
In World of Warcraft, players interact with a variety of systems of combat, experience, crafting, leveling, and loot (gear) in order to generally progress the story and accumulate player power and agency. In addition, players have access to an in-game Shop containing various paid cosmetic items which have no real impact on gameplay. In other words, players are rewarded by various systems within the game (gaining levels, overcoming challenges, progressing gear), and the Shop is a completely separate area where players are free to make voluntary transactions. The game itself is rewarding, while the Shop is transactional, a transaction being (on balance) neither rewarding nor punishing. Compare this to Overwatch 2, in which the game is transactional at best, or punishing at worst.
Now, the astute observer at this point might point out, “Ah, but the game of Overwatch 2 itself is rewarding, if you only include the gameplay and exclude the Shop!” Indeed, it can be, in the right circumstance for the right player at the right time. Let me explain. In Overwatch 2, the core gameplay revolves around skill-based matchmaking (or engagement-optimized matchmaking for the pedantic). With skill-based matchmaking, players are matched against other players according to their level of skill in the game. Low-skilled players play against other low-skilled players, and high-skilled players play against other high-skilled players. How does this relate to player progression? As a player increases in skill, they are matched against players of higher and higher skill rating. In other words, the more skilled you become at the game, the more difficult the game becomes, until you reach the very top of the ladder at which point the skill ceiling has been reached and there are no higher skilled players available.
This is in sharp contradistinction to player progression in other traditional games such as World of Warcraft, in which getting better gear, more levels, or more experience, generally makes the game easier rather than more difficult. In other words, the reward of playing the game and making progress is that the game becomes easier. The “reward” of playing Overwatch and gaining experience and skill is that you are faced with tougher opponents (which in actuality is a type of punishment, not a reward).
So, in conclusion, Overwatch 2 is a fundamentally unrewarding game. Not only is it unrewarding, but it is both actively and passively punishing to play. Whether you increase in skill or not, you are punished. Whether you pay or don’t pay for the Battle Pass, you are punished. The only “winning” move perhaps is not to play entirely.
Don’t get me wrong, I love Overwatch 2. I have played since Season 1 of the first game. I continue to play today. I participate in the Battle Pass system and even purchase the occasional cosmetic from the Shop. But every day I wish they would correct the fundamental design flaws that make the game ever less rewarding and ever more difficult to enjoy.