It’s a Christmas miracle; I can finally afford an Overwatch 2 skin

Christmas has come early for Overwatch 2 fans; now there’s a themed skin for only one coin. 

The festive gingerbread Bastion is on sale in the Overwatch 2 shop for significantly less than any other skin in the game. Plus, you also get a cute little candy cane charm for your weapon, too. The charm can be used with any hero you see fit, and you can add this charm to multiple heroes at a time; there is no limit to the Christmas cheer.

For only one coin, this is by far the cheapest item I’ve ever seen in the shop for Overwatch 2, but that’s not a competition compared to the terrifyingly priced original skins that’ll take you 327 years to get for free. While it’s still a far cry from the free skins and loot boxes that were available in the first Overwatch, this is still a pleasant surprise in time for the holidays. 

 The new norm? 

One coin for a skin seems rather odd, especially for something that looks as good as this, the walking and talking gingerbread Bastion. SKins will normally set you back between 1500 – 1900 coins, so it’s quite the discount, especially if you’re lucky enough to have some spare coins, thanks to Microsoft Rewards. Hopefully, this signals what is to come for the future of skin-hungry fans.

“We aren’t completely satisfied with how everything feels right now,” the new executive producer for Overwatch 2, Jared Neuss, said in a blog post (opens in new tab) about Overwatch 2’s monetization. 

“We want you to feel more rewarded just for sitting down and playing,” Neuss continues. “We want you to have new accomplishments to chase outside of your Competitive Rank and Battle Pass level. When you finish a session, we want you to feel good about the time you just spent in the game – even if you ended on an epic losing streak at 2 a.m. after saying that you wouldn’t end on a loss.” That last part really does hit home. But in all seriousness, this dedication to making Overwatch 2 better to play is encouraging.

In the short term, Blizzard will offer a skin for each event that can be unlocked just by playing. The team also plans to continue offering cosmetics through. Twitch drops, where you are rewarded for watching streamers play Overwatch 2. In the longer term, Neuss says Blizzard is “looking at a mix of Battle Pass changes”. This will hopefully mean we’ll see more free or cheap skins as a reward in the Battle Pass or for completing challenges.

Coal for Christmas  

Unfortunately, there may be a catch (isn’t there always?), and sadly, I think I fell for it. When I first saw a skin in the shop for only one coin, I thought it was too good to be true or, more likely, a glitch. 

As someone who hasn’t even thought to look at the Overwatch 2 shop due to high prices, this was almost too good to be true. So I jumped at the chance, and now the gingerbread skin is all mine. 

But then I realized the prices in the store only go up in tens, and now I have nine coins at a loose end. So if I ever want to buy another skin, I’ll have to buy more coins from Blizzard. This is why you always think through your purchases. 

While this obviously is not the intention behind the Bastion skin, I believe the low price is a genuine gesture of holiday spirit; it is still pretty funny that I’m at a loose end now. Christmas did come early, but I wasn’t ready for it.