Blizzard swiftly responded to backlash regarding a free Mercy skin that Prime Gaming gave to Overwatch 2 players after fans noted that the Epic-quality Owl Guardian cosmetic was previously listed as a for-sale item in the game’s shop.
Just one day after announcing that the skin was available for free through Prime Gaming, the official Overwatch Twitter account posted saying fans who had previously purchased the cosmetic in the past month would get a refund.
“With the Shop recently having Owl Guardian Mercy available for purchase, all players who bought the skin between Aug. 29 – Sept. 7, 2023 have received a full Overwatch Coins refund and still own their items,” Blizzard said.
Many fans criticized Blizzard’s decision to make the skin a free Prime Gaming goodie specifically because of the way it was previously in the shop. While this decision by Blizzard was relatively quick, it didn’t cover all fans who have purchased the Owl Guardian Mercy skin.
The cosmetic’s recent stint in the in-game shop wasn’t its first. Blizzard previously sold the skin in January during season two. Players who purchased the skin at that time will not receive refunds, presumably because they’ve been able to use the skin for more than half a year while other players could not. Blizzard likely believes that’s worth the 1,000 OW coins that the bundle including the skin cost.
Despite Blizzard being very specific with who got a refund, fan response to the quick move was largely positive, with many even calling this a rare “W” for the developer.
