Blizzard to Discontinue Paid Loot Boxes in Overwatch by End of Month

Blizzard has announced that players will no longer be able to purchase loot boxes in Overwatch after August 30. Although paid loot boxes will be discontinued on this date, players can still earn them through gameplay until the release of Overwatch 2, currently scheduled for October 4. The company has stated that loot boxes will not be a part of Overwatch 2, and once the sequel launches, the original game will no longer be playable. Any unopened loot boxes in players' accounts will automatically be opened before the launch of Overwatch 2, with all earned cosmetics transferring to the new game. Blizzard's approach to loot boxes has varied across its games, with paid loot boxes being removed from Heroes of the Storm and Overwatch, but still present in Hearthstone and Diablo Immortal. Earlier this year, the company won a court ruling regarding a lawsuit over Overwatch loot boxes, which was sent to arbitration, and is also facing a proposed class-action lawsuit related to Hearthstone's loot box system.