Overwatch loot boxes have come under heavy fire with the recent launch of the game’s Anniversary Event, and director Jeff Kaplan wants players to know those criticisms have been heard. In a recent forum post, Kaplan assured longtime players that those involved with the project are actively listening.
For those out of the loop, the controversy began May 23 with the start of Blizzard’s major Anniversary Event. Like the others before it, there are tons of neat skins to unlock to accentuate your favorite heroes. In fact, we ranked them all here for those who want to see the entire roster. New content is almost always a good thing for Overwatch fans, but with more stuff to unlock, it becomes much harder to get exactly what you want.
Read: Overwatch Events Are Hurt More By Mode Selection Than Loot Boxes
More skins also cost more credits too. Statistics compiled on reddit confirm the Anniversary Event is valued at 56,000 credits to get all 108 pieces. By comparison, Uprising was tagged at just 37,000 credits. To make matters worse, the increased number of duplicates means too many wasted matches in modes that competitive players may or may not enjoy. With no reroll feature like Heroes Of The Storm, it’s simply become too hard to get even the occasional desired item for free.
It’s amidst this outcry of money grabbing that Kaplan elected to speak up. Here’s what he had to say.
“I just wanted to acknowledge that we've been following the threads about the loot box rewards as they pertain to the anniversary events, other events and loot boxes in general. The feedback and suggestions have been helpful to us. We had a really great discussion yesterday about the feedback we've been hearing this week. While I don't have any immediate action items to report, I thought it was important for you to know that we are listening.
Please feel free to continue your discussions about rewards, loot boxes, and anniversary cosmetic items in this thread. I'll ask the forum moderators to route all discussion on the topic to this thread.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us.”
If you’re a hardcore fan of Overwatch, Kaplan’s statement can be read one of two ways. The fact that it offers no concrete solutions or promises means no immediate fix that will be in place before the Anniversary Event ends on June 12. However, as the game expands and gets more loot, at least adjustments are being pondered for future events.
Overwatch is available now on PC, PS4 and Xbox One. A free weekend is underway through May 29 on all platforms, so be sure to hop in and try out this addicting game if you haven’t already.
What do you think of Overwatch’s loot boxes during recent events? Does Blizzard need to make serious changes to get you back in the hunt? Tell us in the comments section!
