Overwatch just unveiled the newest addition to its lineup and undoubtedly fans will be gearing up for her arrival. Unfortunately, stocking up on Loot Boxes is not the way to go.
In the game's official forums, one of the community managers, Lylirra, posted a reminder: Loot Box contents are generated at the time that they [are] earned or purchased, NOT when they are opened.
This means that skins, voice lines, sprays, hero emotes and the like cannot be acquired through Loot Boxes earned or bought before Ana Amari arrives on a player's gaming platform. Lylirra adds another reminder, saying that the Loot Box system will continue to work like this in the future when more content updates arrive.
Loot Boxes are given to Overwatch players every time they level up. When a Loot Box is opened, players acquire either coins for spending on specific items or cosmetic character gear. It's not a new system but Overwatch's Loot Box system comes with a few problems for players, like random unlocks, which make it difficult for players to control what sort of rewards they are gunning for, and duplicate content.
There's no way to acquire in-game currency unless players spend actual money, so Loot Boxes may be the only means for many to unlock new items. However, even when you do spend money, there's a big chance that your purchase will be wasted because there's a high risk of getting something you already have.
Maybe Overwatch can learn a thing or two about rewards from Halo 5: Guardians, where each item is highly valued because players never get the same thing twice.
Those playing Overwatch on PC can try out Ana right now by setting your region to PTR in the Battle.net launcher as this lets players test out all the goodies the newest update brought. There is no word on an exact release date for the character but Blizzard said she's coming soon.
Ana is a Support character who can heal teammates while injuring enemies with her Biotic Rifle and other abilities. As a former Overwatch agent, the 60-year-old bounty hunter has superior marksmanship and incredible instincts. Her dedication to the organization's cause left an imprint on her daughter, Fareeha, and fueled the child's desire to make a difference in the world. As such, the world has Ana to thank for Pharah deciding to join the good fight.
