// KOTAKU — GAMING
Overwatch Fans Revolt Over New Skins That Cost Too Damn Much
Overwatch is a free-to-play game now, and that means that Blizzard is probably always looking for new ways to monetize the game beyond the skins, battle passes, and cosmetics players can already buy. One of Blizzard’s new additions includes a new tier of skin called Ultra, which includes sound effects and visual flairs similar to a customizable Mythic skin, but without the option to change colors or some parts of the outfit. That’s all well and good, but with Blizzard releasing a new tier of cosmetic, fans were naturally curious as to what they would cost, and it looks like the company hit the sweet spot of “too goddamn much.”
The first two Ultra skins are “Nyan Cafe” skins for God’s favorite Kiriko and newcomer Sierra, and the skins themselves cost 3500 Overwatch Coins, which is $35. For comparison’s sake, Legendary skins, previously the highest tier of skin rarity, typically run you 1900 in-game coins, which is $19. Ultra skins maintain the silhouette-altering costume changes of Legendary skins, with the main addition here being a visual and sound effect when you kill an enemy. In Blizzard’s eyes, that’s apparently enough to nearly double the cost of the skins.
Both skins are also available as part of bundles, which do give you a few other items like emotes and a highlight intro (though the highlight intros seem to just be the emotes with cinematic framing), and those run you $45 separately, or $69 if you buy both Kiriko and Sierra’s bundles together. They’re also included in a themed bundle alongside Nyan Cafe skins and emotes for Orisa, Reaper, and Ashe…which is $99. Technically, though, if you bought everything separately it would be $199 so…that’s…a…bargain?
The cat cafe–themed cosmetics are all pretty cute, but Blizzard charging $35 for individual skins is a bridge too far for some fans who don’t think that what Blizzard has added to a standard Legendary skin justifies the increase in price. Comparisons to previous event skins like the Le Sserafim k-pop collab or to the amount of cosmetics found in the $40 seasonal Ultimate Battle Pass also aren’t doing the Ultra skins any favors, nor is putting their visual effects next to much cheaper options in games like Marvel Rivals. Some have even pointed out that some Legendary skins in Kiriko’s closet already have some visual effects the Ultra ones don’t, though these are on the outfits themselves, rather than in the kill animations.
Ok there’s no defending the prices for these “ultra skins” #gaming #overwatch
………… just leaving this here https://t.co/RUE9jkyYVA pic.twitter.com/ltw8zzFonv
Btw the Le Sserafim Ultra bundle with 10 collab skins was 9900 coins https://t.co/CCL0StwygR pic.twitter.com/Rhir8wEocm
how does a game with literal gacha have better monetization?? ur embarrassing us blizzard.. #overwatch #marvelrivals #ow #ow2 #overwatchtiktok
HEAVILY opinion based lmk what you think 🌚🌚 #fyppppppppppppppppppppppp #OVERWATCH2 #overwatch2
mind you, the whole sanrio collab bundle, WITH 47 ITEMS and the skins have special sound effects, was the exact same price as the ultra bundle that only has 10 items pic.twitter.com/7bOuLfrI7v