Blizzard announces free Kiriko amid battle pass controversy

Blizzard just announced that the new release (and leaked widelyKiriko the ninja character will be free for everyone Monitor 2 Players who already own a copy of the original Note and watch. While that sounds like cause for celebration, the controversial and free-to-play part is the sequel’s move to lock down access to most future characters. Behind the Battle Pass System was less receptive. In new comments reported today, Blizzard leaders explained why they believe the new system will eventually prove to be acceptable.

“What we actually see in the data is that the majority of players in the Note and watch They have the most playing time on two or fewer heroes. John Spector, Vice President note and watch, For various press during a media call. “And you can get 99.9% of the playing time for the majority of our players with 12 champions or less.”

So here’s the official line on why Blizzard feels like a justified move on from the original Note and watchA model for giving each character to all players for a system that locks new heroes away behind the Battle Pass: Origin Note and watch Players haven’t played enough different characters, so he probably won’t miss them.

But there is a bit of mixed messaging going on. The characters are still the core of how Blizzard invests in the new game. Note and watchThe Walter Kong Press Company, Managing Director, said: in an event That “Heroes are the single most engaging content we have in the game… We want to be able to continually invest in this live gaming service. From a business perspective, this is not free.”

To be sure, there will be some Free starter gifts for new and returning players. The new heroes Sojourn and Junker Queen will be free to unlock for all Season 1 players, and Kiriko’s ninja support character will be free for players who own the original Note and watch…but new players who want to try out Kiriko will have to either pay $10 for the Premium Battle Pass or grind the free pass up to level 55. At least they’ll still be able to play all 32 characters from the original. existing.

Read more: Everything is shown in Monitor 2 Detection event

Kiriko is a healer who can deal decent massive damage and support her allies in the midst of a crossfire, and she is been described As a “battle wizard” for Genji tubes. This hints at a major change in how Blizzard designs new heroes, in that it is actively trying to prevent situations in which any character could act as a “difficult confrontation” for another.

“We’re trying to get some rock, paper, and scissors interactions out of the game, and [replace] Game Director Aaron Keeler said: ribbed. “We’ve refined our support heroes to make them more survivable.”

while reducing the extent of dependence Note and watch On the counters it generally looks like a positive move, locking an ever-increasing percentage of the roster of champions behind battle pass levels, whether free or premium, feels like a step backwards for player selection.

Monitor 2 It will be released on October 4 this year.