The short answer is no, owning Overwatch 1 does not get you a free Battle Pass in Overwatch 2.
I know that may come as disappointing news if you were an avid OW1 player hoping your dedication would pay off in the sequel. Unfortunately, that‘s not quite how it works.
But don‘t worry! While the premium Battle Pass itself isn‘t free, there are still plenty of rewards and benefits reserved for OW1 veterans transitioning to the new game. Let me explain everything in detail…
What Owning Overwatch 1 Gets You in Overwatch 2
Instead of a free Battle Pass, owning Overwatch 1 before June 2022 grants you the Overwatch 2 Founder‘s Pack, which includes:
- 2 Exclusive Legendary Hero Skins
- Overwatch 2 Player Icon
- Founder‘s profile banner
So you‘ll still get some shiny cosmetic items to show off your OW1 credentials. And you‘ll always be able to use your original game skins in OW2 as well.
Plus, you‘ll retain a bunch of other OW1 goodies:
- All skins, emotes, highlight intros, sprays etc.
- Player level
- Competitive points (converted to OW2 currency)
And most importantly, you‘ll have immediate access to all the new post-launch heroes added to OW2, without needing to grind the Battle Pass. Non-OW1 players have to unlock new heroes through premium Battle Passes.
So in summary, you‘re rewarded with exclusive cosmetics, retaining all previous unlocks, a headstart on progress, and instant hero access.
But the seasonal Battle Passes themselves must be purchased separately if you want the premium content. Owning the original doesn‘t provide any direct savings or discounts on OW2 passes.
Okay, Tell Me More About Overwatch 2‘s Battle Pass System
No problem! Let‘s get into the nitty gritty details on how Battle Passes work in OW2.
The Battle Pass is a paid track of rewards you can progress through each season by playing the game. There are two parallel tracks:
Free Track:
- Available to all players
- Contains new heroes, some cosmetics, currency etc.
- Progressed by gaining XP to increase season tier
Premium Track:
- Costs 1000 Overwatch Coins ($10) to unlock
- Contains premium-exclusive cosmetics, currency, XP boosts
- Progresses faster than free track
For example, Season 1‘s Battle Pass offered Kiriko as the new free hero, alongside skins like Cyber Demon Genji on premium.
The incentives are very decent, which is why many players choose to purchase the passes. But again, OW1 ownership alone does not provide access to the premium track in OW2.
How Does Progress Carry Over from Overwatch 1 to 2?
I know you‘ve probably spent countless hours grinding for loot boxes and rare cosmetics in the original Overwatch. So you‘ll be glad to know that most of your progress securely carries over to the sequel!
Here‘s a quick overview of what transfers and what doesn‘t when merging your Blizzard account:
Transfers:
- Skins, emotes, highlight intros, sprays, etc.
- Player level
- Competitive points -> converted to OW2 currency
Doesn‘t Transfer:
- OW1 Credits -> become Legacy Credits in OW2
- Settings like keybinds
- Some map-specific cosmetics
So you get to keep the vast majority of your unlocks and progression from OW1. But credits convert into a different currency, and you‘ll need to redo some settings.
Why Was Overwatch 1 Shut Down Entirely?
I know some OW1 faithfuls were shocked when Blizzard announced they were completely discontinuing the original game servers to make way for its sequel. It‘s quite unusual for a live service title like OW1 to be entirely replaced in this manner.
But Blizzard explained it was a necessary step to move forward, for a few reasons:
- Operating two separate games was splitting the playerbase
- New PvP content was being added to OW2 only
- Transitioning fully allows integrating OWL esports
- Maintaining two clients created extra overhead
So in their view, shutting down OW1 and going all in on OW2 was needed to unify the community and prevent content fragmentation.
The good news is that if you owned OW1, you get the OW2 upgrade free and retain all your progress. But still, it was an end of an era for the game that redefined team shooters.
How Does Overwatch 2‘s Gameplay Compare to the Original?
Gameplay-wise, OW2 builds on the foundation of its predecessor but also shakes things up in some controversial ways:
The Good:
- Slick new maps and redesigns
- Overall polish and quality of life upgrades
- Removal of stuns/CC abilities
- New Push mode adds variety
The Not-So-Good:
- Loss of some OW1 maps and modes
- 5v5 reduced teamwork/synergy for some
- PvE content delayed
- Perceived monetization greed
The move to 5v5 has been one of the most hotly debated changes. On one hand, it reduces clutter and gives individual players more impact. But on the other, it loses some of the tight coordination that came with 6v6.
Opinions vary on whether OW2‘s gameplay changes are for better or worse. At the very least, it provides a fresh competitive landscape to adapt to and evolve in.
What Are the Minimum PC Requirements for Overwatch 2?
Since the game is now free-to-play, another obvious concern is whether your PC can even run it properly.
The good news is that OW2‘s minimum system requirements are quite forgiving:
Minimum:
- CPU: Intel Core i3 or AMD Phenom X3 8650
- GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 600 or AMD Radeon HD 7000 series
- RAM: 6GB
- Storage: 50GB
- OS: Windows 7/Windows 10 64-bit
Recommended:
- CPU: Intel Core i7 or AMD Ryzen 5
- GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 or AMD RX 5500 XT
- RAM: 8GB
- Storage: 50GB
- OS: Windows 10 64-bit
According to Blizzard, these specs deliver over 30 FPS on low settings during heavy combat.
For 60 FPS, you‘ll want something closer to the recommended specs above. But overall the game is quite well optimized even for low-end hardware, using its stylized art direction to its advantage.
Battle Pass Sales Statistics and Player Opinions
Now that we‘ve covered the basics, let‘s dig into some numbers and data around OW2‘s new monetization approach.
According to reports, within the first two weeks, OW2 made over $100 million in total revenue. The Battle Pass and shop purchases make up the bulk of this.
Activision also confirmed that OW2 had 25 million players in its first 10 days. However, we don‘t know how many of those have actually spent money. Here are some statistics on Battle Pass sales specifically:
- Over 50% of Season 1 Battle Pass buyers purchased the premium track
- Premium pass conversion rate higher than other popular F2P titles
- Average pass buyer spent around $15 on tiers & tokens on top of pass cost
So the revenue numbers show that while the game itself is F2P, many players are still opening their wallets regularly to unlock cosmetics and heroes.
In online discussions, you‘ll find a wide range of player opinions on this monetization approach:
Positive Opinions
- Battle Pass gives a sense of progression
- Cosmetics allow self-expression
- Direct purchases preferred over loot boxes
- Revenue funds ongoing development
Negative Opinions
- Pricing seen as quite aggressive
- F2P pressures spending
- Paywall for new heroes
- OW1 felt more rewarding over time
So it‘s a bit of a double-edged sword. Players seem to prefer the transparency of direct purchases rather than randomized loot boxes. But costs being too high and locking heroes behind passes are common complaints.
Only time will tell whether this business model proves sustainable or harms the game‘s community in the long run.
The Bottom Line
Let‘s recap the key points:
Q: Do you get Overwatch 2‘s Battle Pass for free if you owned Overwatch 1?
A: Unfortunately, no. Owning the original does not grant any Battle Pass perks for OW2.
However, you do get exclusive Founder‘s Pack items, retain all previous cosmetics, convert currencies, and have instant hero access as an OW1 player. So your dedication isn‘t forgotten!
Owning OW1 saves you money by avoiding rebuying the base game. But the recurring Battle Passes must still be purchased separately if you want seasonal premium content.
There are certainly trade-offs to the switch from paid game to F2P monetization. But hopefully as an OW1 vet, the transition won‘t be too painful with your progress carrying over.
So in summary:
✅ Exclusive Founder‘s Pack for OW1 owners
✅ Keep all skins, sprays, player level, etc.
✅ Competitive points convert to new currency
✅ Instant access to new heroes
❌ No free Battle Pass granted
❌ OW1 credits converted to different currency
I hope this guide has clearly answered whether you get a free OW2 Battle Pass from owning the original game. Let me know if you have any other questions! I‘m happy to help OW1 players like yourself make the move to OW2 smoothly.
