Overwatch Loot Box Sales Will End August 30

Loot boxes in Overwatch will no longer be available for purchase following the conclusion of the game’s Anniversary Remix Vol. 3 event on August 30, Blizzard has confirmed.

While players won’t be able to purchase loot boxes directly after the aforementioned date, loot boxes can still be earned through leveling up and other in-game activities for the next few months, a Blizzard blog post states. All loot boxes in a player’s inventory will automatically open prior to the launch of Overwatch 2 on October 4.

The news comes as part of the shooter’s final Anniversary Remix event, which is now live. Like the two previous Anniversary Remix events, Vol. 3 brings a rotation of all the game’s seasonal event brawls, exclusive recolors of various skins, and a return of formerly one-time event skins that can be earned by playing matches.

Once Overwatch 2 arrives, it will be ditching the first game’s loot box system in favor of a battle pass and the ability to purchase cosmetics directly. The PvP portion of Overwatch 2, which arrives, October 4, will also be free-to-play. In an interview with GameSpot following the announcement of the game’s new business model, Overwatch 2 director Aaron Keller said that the game had outgrown the loot box system, and that the new battle pass system will replace loot boxes as Overwatch’s primary means of progression.

“Loot boxes, they’ve always been a part of Overwatch 1 but as the game has grown and especially as we go into a free-to-play version of the game where we’re adding more and more cosmetics, it becomes a lot harder to earn what you want with a loot box system,” Keller said. “By losing those and moving over to a shop for Overwatch 2, it gives players the actual agency and the choice to go after what it is they want to have in the game.”

Blizzard has confirmed that the original Overwatch will no longer be playable once Overwatch 2 arrives, with an update essentially converting Blizzard’s first shooter into its sequel. Overwatch 2 won’t receive a third beta prior to launch, with Blizzard instead focusing on making the game the best it can be ahead of release.