$5 straight cash compared to 700 Overwatch bux
Yikes! That’s just about the only thing that can sum up a lot ofOverwatch 2news post-launch, but thisOverwatch 2charm situation is so funny it has to be shared.
Over on the Overwatch Reddit, user hi_im_redbeard shared an anecdote that showcased how out of control the monetization scheme is inOverwatch 2. In short, they purchasedareal life Pachimari keychain/charmthat they can hold in their handforcheaper than it costs to buy the sameOverwatch 2charm in-game. Showing their work, the Pachimari charm (literally just an in-game side item, almost NFT-like in nature) is 700 Overwatch Coins, which is more than $5 (which converts to 500 Coins). Yep, you have to do the standard scummy “buy more than you need” conversion here, so it’s even more expensive than roughly $7 if you need to top up.
There are plenty of economic nuances afoot, and this wouldn’t be the first time something like this happened; as some games (Pokemon Uniteincluded) can put out insanely high-priced limited-run skins that are more expensive than an action figure of the character in question. But this particular incident showcases howOverwatch 2, in its move to “free-to-play” (and erasing the original premium game) has shoved in even more ways to monetize its audience with new cosmetics.
When some fans are asking to bring loot boxes back, you know you have a monetization problem. It’ll be interesting to see just how much contentOverwatch 2gets over time, how it’s even further monetized, and what the PVE element brings to the table (more monetization?).
