Official Overwatch 2 rating suggests sequel won’t have loot boxes

Overwatch 2’s official rating has been announced, and it’s quite a bit different than the original. So, does that mean the sequel won’t have loot boxes?

More and more information regarding Overwatch 2, the long-awaited sequel to Overwatch, has been coming out in recent weeks.

Pro gameplay footage on the new build has shown off some of the game’s new maps, the new Push game mode, and we’ve gotten a peek behind the curtain at some of the major hero reworks we can expect in the sequel.

But one thing fans hadn’t heard much about, until today, was the game’s rating and the potential future of loot boxes.

Activision Blizzard

Loot boxes have been a part of Overwatch since the beginning. What would it look like if they didn’t exist?

Will Overwatch 2 have loot boxes?

According to a tweet from the German Overwatch Twitter account, Overwatch 2 will be rated for ages 12 and older, whereas the original was rated for ages 16 and older in Germany.

This has significance for the game because, according to a report earlier this year, the German government passed revisions to its Youth Protection Act that flagged the “cost traps” in games and increased the age limit of games containing them.

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While the initial report explicitly included loot boxes in its language, it appears updates made to it since no longer include them specifically.

However, since Germany seems keener on protecting youth from these sorts of cost traps and the original was already rated at 16+, big changes could be coming to loot boxes in OW2.

In the US, Overwatch was rated “T” for Teen, which means the game is suitable for ages 13 and older. However, the ESRB rating includes “simulated gambling” in its rating, which could include loot boxes.

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Ratings will inevitably differ from country to country. However, the change in this German rating is certainly something to keep an eye on, even if the US version retains its “T” rating.

We will continue to provide updates on the game’s rating and its impact on loot boxes as more information becomes available.