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In a blog post detailing the Overwatch Anniversary Remix Vol. 3 event, the company quietly revealed that loot boxes would no longer be on sale as of August 30.

“Loot Boxes will no longer be available for sale after the end of the Anniversary Remix Vol. 3 event on August 30. However, you will still be able to earn standard loot boxes after the end of the event.”

This event is a way for players to finally acquire skins that have been difficult to obtain in previous years, or exclusive to certain challenges that are no longer available.

Overwatch 2 will launch in early access on October 4, 2022 as a free-to-play title.

It will include a new seasonal structure featuring battle passes and, unlike the original game, it won’t include loot boxes.

When asked what would happen to unopened loot boxes players may have stored, Overwatch commercial lead Jon Spector replied: “To give you a quick answer now, though, those existing currencies (credits, OWL tokens, and competitive points) will come with you into Overwatch 2.

“We are not transitioning loot boxes into Overwatch 2, and ahead of launch, any unopened loot boxes will be automatically opened with your account receiving all the contents directly.”

He added: “OW1 credits come with you to OW2, but our new virtual currency will be the main currency, and there will be things in OW2 that will not be purchasable with those OW1 credits”.

That's too bad about the no loot boxes in Overwatch 2. I'd never pay money for loot boxes, but they're vastly superior to any battle pass I've ever seen.

Yeah, i prefer the loot box model. With loot boxes potentially giving you anything and a little bit of currency to buy specific things vs. you get these handful of specific free things from a battle pass, but you are going to have to pay for the "good" stuff and still "earn" what you purchased through continuing to play and level up. There both trying to keep you playing by rewarding you and get you to spend money, but one is far more predatory then the other to me. But im the person who doesn't pay for battle passes or loot boxes and enjoys the free maps, patches and potentially free game, so whatever.

Loot boxes are bad, but battle passes are also bad in different ways, and worse in my opinion.

I guess Microsoft wants nothing to do with blind loot boxes and gambling. /s