'Overwatch 2' Players Must Play 100 Games To Unlock The Original Cast

Activision-Blizzard announced another stunning decision regarding "Overwatch 2" less than a week before launch, though it was met with far less vitriol by the gaming community.

Previously, the developers announced that new characters will be locked behind the game's season pass. Amid player fears of having less versatility in terms of picks, Activision-Blizzard decided to limit the number of heroes available to new "Overwatch 2" players.

This move was done with the intent to gradually welcome new players to the game. According to the devs, the First-Time User Experience (FTUE) aims to avoid overwhelming players with the sheer number of heroes and modes available in the game by limiting who or what they have access to at the start. This also limits certain chat functions.

"The first phase of our new FTUE rapidly unlocks all the game modes and the ability to chat in-game, and the second phase unlocks all the original Overwatch heroes over the course of approximately 100 matches," the developers said in their blog update.

The original cast of "Overwatch" has a total of 32 heroes spread across three roles: Tank, Damage and Support. There are also hybrid heroes who share qualities from two different roles. One such hero is Sombra, who is listed as a damage dealer but has the utility of a support hero.

So far, "Overwatch" fans on the game's Subreddit have been very accepting of this move.

According to one user, purposefully limiting the number of playable heroes at the start gives fresh players a chance to become familiar with only a handful of characters at once, whether it be fighting as, with or against them. This change also grants new players an extra avenue to learn the game better before diving into competitive modes.

The dev blog noted that most FTUE restrictions do not apply to players in parties, though the developers did not specify what limits are lifted.

Other users praised this limit as a move against smurfs and cheaters. Players hope that the need to play 100 games before giving people access to the complete roster will protect the overall health and competitive integrity of "Overwatch 2."