Overwatch will soon put an end to monetized loot boxes, giving players a lot of joy around the world. Loot boxes are some of the most controversial things in modern video games. As gaming grows more popular, developers and publishers are always looking for ways to monetize their products beyond the standard $60 purchase. Sometimes it’s DLC or some other kind of one-time purchase, but a lot of online games now feature the ability to purchase some items multiple times. Loot boxes are a major element of this as players can purchase in-game currency or loot boxes and allow a box to randomly spit out a series of items, sometimes including things you already own in the game. This practice has been compared to gambling, as players can spend real money to try and get cool items from these boxes. Some publishers have steered away from this practice after tons of controversy, with many landing on things like battle passes which are much more transparent about what you’re buying.
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With Overwatch 2 on the horizon, the original game is expected to remove paid loot boxes at the end of August. Players will still be able to earn loot boxes, but will no longer be able to spend real money to obtain them. Until August 30th, players will also be able to earn and purchase Anniversary Loot Boxes which offer skins and items from previous events and anniversaries. September will be the last month for players to earn traditional loot boxes as Overwatch 2 will arrive in October and do away with this idea as a whole, as the game will embrace seasonal passes like other major franchises.
Overwatch has been one of the last, though not theย last, major games still holding on to loot boxes. It seems hard to imagine games like FIFA and Madden steering away from card packs given how successful they are, but that may just be something the sports genre has to accept. Nevertheless, it’s good to see loot boxes being phased out.
What do you think of Overwatch removing loot boxes? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @Cade_Onder.
[H/T PC Gamer]
