Overwatch 2 Will Lock All Heroes Behind 100 Game Grind

Overwatch 2 is going live a week from now and Blizzard Entertainment has released some more details about what we can expect from the game. While Overwatch (2016) players will have access to the full roster of returning heroes, new players will need to grind through 100 games to unlock all heroes. In an effort to crack down on toxicity and hackers, Overwatch 2 will be monitoring voice chat transcripts and will need players to provide a phone number to play the game.

How long will I have to grind to unlock all heroes?

In a blog post talking about some of the new features coming to the new game, Blizzard talked about what it’s calling the First Time User Experience (FTUE). New players will “begin with access to a limited set of game modes, heroes, and some other restrictions to onboard them more gradually”. Blizzard said it wants “FTUE to welcome players more gradually to Overwatch 2, as we’ve seen consistent feedback from new players feeling overwhelmed by numerous game modes and heroes”.

New players will have to play approximately 100 games to unlock the original roster of 32 heroes. Assuming a quick-play match lasts for 10-15 minutes, it will take a new player around 21 hours of grind to unlock the original roster. New heroes like Kiriko will need more of a grind, requiring players to reach level 55 on the free battle pass.

New players will also have to win 50 quick play matches to unlock competitive Overwatch. Other features will be accessible in the first phase of FTUE which “rapidly unlocks all the game modes and the ability to chat in-game”. As promised, anyone who played prior, and those who buy the Watchpoint Pack will not have to play through the First Time User Experience.

Blizzard doubling down on safety features

Overwatch 2 will also require players to enter a phone number to play the game through a feature called SMS Protect. It will also be collecting a “temporary voice chat recording of a reported player”, to transcribe and analyze for “disruptive behaviour”.