Overwatch loophole baffles players as old skin appears with hefty price tag

I'm seeing double here.

Ana holding her sniper in the Overwatch 1 and 2 Cybermedic skin bundle.
Image via Blizzard Entertainment

A re-introduced Ana skin has sent the Overwatch 2 community into a frenzy this week, as a crafty loophole forces players to fork out cash for an original Overwatch skin. 

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When Overwatch 2 was released, previously purchased cosmetic items were transferable from the original game to the long-awaited sequel, while older skins were purchasable via in-game “credits”. The Ana skin bundle in question already appeared in Overwatch 1 according to players from a May 30 Reddit thread, and now it’s back—at a cost.

The skin bundle costs 1100 Overwatch credits, which equates to approximately $11 USD.

The Overwatch community banded together to deduce why Blizzard Entertainment would charge players for such an old skin. After Blizzard’s scrapping of the planned PvE update to the game, OW2 players might have a shorter fuse than ever before.

Players called Blizzard a “cashcow”, however, there might be an explanation for the OW2 developer’s decision. While cosmetics make up the vast majority of the title’s revenue, this skin bundle wasn’t even actually purchasable in OW1.

According to experienced OW1 players, the “Cybermedic” skin bundle first appeared as a weekly challenge cosmetic. This means players never paid for the skin to begin with, thus the choice might not be as villainous as once thought.

The OW2 community has been undeniably vocal about the price of skins since its release, with solid arguments supporting both sides of the argument.

Related: One of Overwatch 2’s first shop skins has finally returned to steal our hearts

While this reaction might be overblown, the community is likely still simmering down after OW2 developers failed to deliver a promise made when the title was first announced. The promised PvE mode has been scrapped almost entirely, despite months of setbacks and assurances it would be arriving.

Now, it seems the OW2 community has a bad taste in its mouth.

Author
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Harrison Thomas
CS:GO, Overwatch, and Valorant Staff Writer - Played CS:GO since 2012 and keep a close eye on other titles. Give me a game and I'll write about it. Ranks are private information. Contact harry@dotesports.com