• News

Overwatch 2 will make new players unlock the entire original roster

Blizzard suggested it will take approximately 100 matches for new players to unlock all heroes in Overwatch 2.

TJ Denzer

September 27, 2022 1:50 PM

Image via Activision Blizzard

1

When it comes to Overwatch 2, it will be a lot of players' first time getting into everything. Blizzard doesn’t want to overwhelm newcomers, so it has a plan to ease them in little by little. Players coming in from the original Overwatch will have the original roster unlocked and at their disposal. However, new players will have some unlocking to do with the original heroes. They’ll have to earn their way to those unlocks and Blizzard has stated it will take about 100 matches to get it all.

This comes from a Defense Matrix Overwatch 2 update blog, which went over unlocks, new player onboarding, and the effort to not overwhelm those who are picking up Overwatch for the first time. Through a system called the First Time User Experience (FTUE), Blizzard hopes to make getting to know the Overwatch cast and what they can do a more pleasant experience. Through it, players that are jumping right into Overwatch 2 will unlock content in two phases. In the first, players will unlock game modes and features. In the second, players will unlock heroes. Blizzard suggests it will take about 100 matches to unlock all heroes and content in the game.

Blizzard goes on to stipulate that the FTUE system is sidelined when players are in groups with those who have the roster unlocked. That way, players can play whoever they want when teaming up with friends. Competitive also has different exceptions for FTUE because players have to complete various challenges and milestones to even access the Competitive mode.

With Overwatch 2 set to launch on PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch on October 4 (marking the start of Season 1), it will be interesting to see how new players take to the FTUE system. Do you care about having to unlock the original roster if you haven’t played before? Let us know in the Chatty comment section below.

TJ Denzer

Senior News Editor

TJ Denzer is a player and writer with a passion for games that has dominated a lifetime. He found his way to the Shacknews roster in late 2019 and has worked his way to Senior News Editor since. Between news coverage, he also aides notably in livestream projects like the indie game-focused Indie-licious, the Shacknews Stimulus Games, and the Shacknews Dump. You can reach him at tj.denzer@shacknews.com and also find him on Twitter @JohnnyChugs.