Blizzard Is Removing Premium Loot Boxes From Overwatch This Month

Blizzard has announced in a new blog post that premium loot boxes, i.e. loot boxes you can pay real money for, will be removed from Overwatch at the end of August. They currently remain in place for the game's 'Anniversary Remix' event, but after that, they're being withdrawn from sale.

The ongoing event concludes August 30th, so by the end of the month, you'll no longer be able to buy loot boxes with real money in Overwatch. This change falls in line with Blizzard's approach to Overwatch 2, where a battle pass + premium storefront system will replace randomized loot boxes. Hurrah!

Now, it's important to note that loot boxes at large will remain in the first Overwatch. Blizzard isn't completely overhauling the first game — likely due to Overwatch 2's imminent October launch — but the team is removing any option to buy them with real money.

If you have a bunch of loot boxes lying around in Overwatch by the time you play OW2, they'll be automatically opened and the contents deposited into your new inventory. Any in-game currencies present in OW1 will also move over, as confirmed by Blizzard.

We're glad to see to see the back of loot boxes in most console games at this point, to be honest. While the 'battle pass system' isn't perfect, it's much-preferred over a randomized microtransaction system.

But, what do you think about the change in approach for Overwatch 2? Let us know in the comments!