Blizzard Offers A Charm and Skin As Compensation For Overwatch 2 Launch Issues

As everyone knows at this point, Overwatch 2 had a notoriously bumpy launch. For the first few days of launch, the game was plagued by terrible server issues, insanely long queue times, and a massive DDOS attack along with some terrible sign-in requirements from Blizzard.

Not only that, but the game also generated a ton of controversy only a day after its release when it was found out you couldn’t play Overwatch 2 if you had a pre-paid phone. While these issues were eventually addressed by Blizzard, many players were upset that they couldn’t even play the game for the first few days of launch.

Major Takeaways: 

• Overwatch 2 players will get a free skin for Reaper as well as a weapon charm. 
• Any players logging in between October 25th and the end of Season 1 will be able to claim it. 
• Blizzard will start running Double Match XP weekends soon. 

To somewhat alleviate that past kick in the sack, Blizzard is giving away a charm and a new Reaper skin for players who log in between October 25 and the end of Season 1. On top of that, Blizzard will also be running several Double Match XP weekends in the near future. 

Blizzard has apologized for the issues in a recent blog post, saying: 

We apologize for any issues players experienced around the game’s launch. To help make up for any lost time, we’re planning to run several Double Match XP weekends: we will confirm the specific dates for these soon. We’ll also be giving all players who log in from October 25 through to the end of Season One an all-new Cursed Captain Reaper Legendary skin and a Health Pack Weapon Charm. These items will become part of your collection from the first time you log in during that time window.”

Players have also reported losing a huge chunk of their account progress after migrating from their previous Overwatch 1 accounts as well as server issues that still persist in the game. Blizzard has assured players that more patches are on the way very soon, with one coming as early as this week. 

The team continues to work to deploy further stability updates, with another patch planned for later this week, and we are monitoring the game closely for emergent issues and bugs.”

Beyond these issues, Overwatch 2 has been no stranger to controversy even prior to its release. Numerous false promises and a lack of communication around the game’s development made for a very underwhelming release for a lot of players.

Blizzard has also delayed the promised PvE story mode of the game for some time next year which was supposed to be the big new addition for Overwatch 2. As of now the PvE game mode is expected to launch sometime next year at an unannounced release date and will have to be purchased, unlike the PvP game mode.

Blizzard has promised that it will be a AAA-quality campaign with full-fledged cutscenes, multiple unique enemy types, and 4 player co-op. The PvE will also reportedly feature a highly replayable endgame that will keep PvE players engaged for a long time.

Overwatch 2 was finally released to the general public on October 5. The game has received a mixed reception from critics and gamers alike for its controversial design decisions such as limiting new players to a significantly reduced roster of heroes and the addition of a premium battle pass.

In essence, the game only makes minor iterations to the original Overwatch which is partly why the game has also received praise as well. In the end, it’s still more Overwatch, and Overwatch has always been fun despite the missteps made in many of the game’s later updates. 

eXputer’s own Haris Umer gave the game a 2.8 rating stating, “Although Overwatch 2 feels more like a glorified expansion than a proper sequel, it’s still the same old fast paced game that we all know and love.”