Blizzard has officially shared news about forthcoming updates to how Loot Boxes and the Highlights system on Overwatch work.
The changes, though lacking any solid release date, come as welcome developments for all Overwatch fans out there who've encountered numerous negative bouts with Loot Boxes.
Jeff Kaplan, the game's lead designer, detailed all the changes in a new developer update. Overwatch players will be able to bookmark their own highlights when they play the game, and they may also export them as videos if they wish. As for the Loot Boxes, Blizzard promises they'll give out fewer duplicate items going forward.
Blizzard Is Changing How Loot Boxes On 'Overwatch' Work
"We always want the experience of opening an in-game loot box to feel exciting and rewarding, and in our latest patch we're working to improve that experience in two key ways," reads Blizzard's announcement.
First, as previously mentioned, Blizzard will soon drastically reduce the amount of duplicate items players get when opening up Loot Boxes. But to compensate for the decrease of duplicates, Blizzard will at the same time increase the overall amount of credits players receive.
Blizzard will begin testing this change for anyone who logs in to the Public Test Region, or PTR, during the patch cycle. Players will receive five PTR Loot Boxes — standard ones only available through the PTR, so they can't be transferred over to players' live accounts, unfortunately.
Loot Boxes, for the uninitiated, are Blizzard's way of making revenue post-launch. Players can either earn them by playing the game or by purchasing them with real-life currency. Each Loot Box contains four cosmetic items, and after hours of playing Overwatch, players will likely get duplicates, a common complaint of the Overwatch crowd. Hopefully, the new changes take a turn for the better.
Here Are The New Highlights Options On 'Overwatch'
Several major updates will head to Overwatch's highlights system. One of which sees the game continuously generating highlights based on the player's recent gameplay. The auto-generated highlights — called "Today's Top 5" — will come up on a daily basis and last for a full day.
Also, players will also be able to generate their own highlights, giving players the ability to capture 12 seconds of their own gameplay. These recorded highlights will be saved under a new section called "Recently Captured" and will stay there until the game client is patched, explains Blizzard. However, players may only have 36 self-recorded highlights at any given time.
Players will also be able to export videos from Today's Top 5 and Recently Captured sections, saving them as video files to their console's designated media library or directory for PC. PC players will also be able to select the specific export quality they wish, giving them the option to save highlights under a 4K resolution at 60 fps for Windows 8 and above. On Windows 7, however, highlight may only be saved under a 1080p resolution.
As stated above, Blizzard hasn't confirmed exactly when these changes will arrive to every Overwatch player. But those who have access to the PTR will be able to test them soon.
Thoughts about Blizzard's plans to reduce duplicate items on Loot Boxes? How about those new Highlights options? As always, if you have any thoughts or opinions, feel free to sound them off in the comments section below!
