New Overwatch 2 accounts have to unlock old heroes, too

As part of Overwatch’s (opens in new tab) transition into a free-to-play game with its sequel, Overwatch 2 will have restrictions on new players to help prevent cheating and “disruptive players,” Blizzard wrote in a blog post (opens in new tab) today. Most notably, new accounts, which have never played the original game before, will have to earn access to most of its game modes and heroes.

Fresh accounts that start with Overwatch 2 will have “access to a limited set of game modes, heroes, and some other restrictions to onboard them more gradually,” Blizzard wrote. The first phase of the “First Time User Experience” will unlock game modes and in-game chats and then you’ll unlock the original cast of Overwatch heroes “over the course of approximately 100 matches.”