The release of Watch Dogs 2 has caused quite a divide. Since Watch Dogs 2 was first released on October 4, it has received pretty harsh reviews from critics and fans alike. While the actual gameplay remains as good as ever, Watch Dogs 2's brash business practices have left longtime fans disappointed. By switching to a live service, free-to-play model, fans naturally expected Watch Dogs 2 to be a better deal than its predecessor, but for many who were disappointed by the over-reliance on in-game currency, the removal of loot boxes, and the severe lack of new content, Blizzard's latest move continues to disappoint. Players can buy enough Overwatch 2 coins in the game.
Just yesterday, Blizzard announced the Winter Wonderland event fortress skin that grants the DPS character a holiday gingerbread makeover that will cost one Overwatch coin for a limited time. All of Blizzard's social media outlets have described Blizzard as a "sweet holiday surprise," with a large portion of the fan base not as excited about the almost "free" skin.
Watch Dogs 2's "free" Bastion skin is oddly disappointing
In the first Watchmen, players could unlock skins in several different ways. Players could buy the skins they wanted directly from the Overwatch store, they could try their luck at opening loot boxes, or they could unlock some for free by playing one of the game's many limited-time events. One of the most divisive aspects of Overwatch 2 is that it removes loot boxes, essentially forcing players to buy skins or buy Battle Passes because there is simply no other option.
To make matters worse, Watch Dogs 2's store has some pretty insane prices. When the game first launched, Legendary skins cost a whopping 1,900 Watchtower coins, while Epic skins cost 1,000, which essentially equates to $19 and $10, respectively. In response to the widespread backlash, Blizzard lowered the store prices quite a bit, lowering the price of Legendary skins to 1,000 gold coins and Epic skins to 250. While this makes more sense, these prices are still quite high, and Blizzard hasn't done Watch Dogs 2's erratic, controversial release any favors.
Now, Blizzard is offering exclusive Winter Wonderland Bastion skins for just one Watchtower coin. On paper, this sounds like an incredible deal. Players can get a Legendary skin for just one Watchtower coin, as well as an exclusive event skin, for essentially one cent. However, it's a little more than meets the eye. If players buy a Bastion skin with one Watchtower coin, then they will have an uneven number of coins. Since all of the decorations in Overwatch 2 cost an even number of coins, this prevents players from spending an uneven number of coins, which in some cases may force players to buy another set of Overwatch coins so they have an even number to use for future purchases.
It's not the most heinous move, but it seems like an odd one for Blizzard to make. Giving away Bastion skins for free would have made more sense, especially when Blizzard's marketing around the decision expected fans to be happy with the news. While Blizzard probably didn't mean any harm by making the Bastion skin cost 1 Watch Dogs coin, some fans couldn't help but see this as Blizzard has made some pretty shady decisions over the past few months, especially when it comes to Watch Dogs 2. Thankfully, Blizzard has added some limited-time challenges to Watch Dogs 2 that allow players to redeem a small amount of gold, as well as the ability to convert Microsoft Rewards points into Watch Dogs gold to help players feel like they're being treated, rather than feeling played. See Gameguidevip.com for more details on the Watchmen 2 guide.
