Why are some characters locked in Overwatch 2? Answered
You need to get them first.
John Hansen 
Image via Blizzard
In the first Overwatch, one of the biggest selling points for the game is that players had access to the dozens of heroes without having to buy them or unlock them. You will notice this is different in Overwatch 2, which may potentially have quite a few heroes locked away from you. Here is an explanation of why Overwatch 2 has some heroes locked away from you.
Related: How to unlock heroes as a new player in Overwatch 2
Why are some heroes locked in Overwatch 2?
Note: At the launch of Overwatch 2, a server-side bug locked heroes away from some players even if they played the first Overwatch game and should have access to them. You can either go about unlocking them again or wait for Blizzard to address the issue and give you your characters back in time.
There are a couple of reasons why some players have heroes locked in Overwatch 2. First, this is by design for new accounts playing the game for the first time. The First Time User Experience, or FTUE, is Blizzard’s plan to slowly introduce you to the game’s roster without overwhelming you. If you play Quick Play matches, you will slowly unlock the other characters and try them.
The second reason some heroes are locked in Overwatch 2 is that they are new characters that you need to unlock through the battle pass or hero challenges. New characters like Kiriko can be accessed by reaching level 55 of the free Season One battle pass or right away by purchasing the premium version. This is a method to help incentivize you to either keep playing the game or put some money down on that season’s battle pass.
While Overwatch 2 has abandoned full access to its roster at all times, you can always unlock the locked-away heroes at any time. They will never be permanently inaccessible to you, so it’s just a matter of meeting the requirements to get them.
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