Buzz
The game publisher itself likely didn't anticipate that its decision would spark so much controversy.
2023 could be viewed as a rather unsuccessful year for Blizzard. Right from the beginning, the launch of Overwatch 2 was poorly received, with numerous bugs surfacing from the outset. Following that, even after the honeymoon period, Diablo 4 is experiencing a significant decline in player numbers. Furthermore, even the most loyal streamers and YouTubers are abandoning the game, while the merger deal with Microsoft remains at a standstill. And recently, Blizzard finds itself once again in hot water, facing strong criticism from Overwatch 2 gamers.
Specifically, everything began with what appeared to be a good decision, likely to elicit positive reactions from Blizzard gamers. That decision was to release the premium Owl Guardian Mercy costume for free on Prime Gaming after keeping it in the store for an extended period. Essentially, giving gifts without requiring anything in return would make a large portion of gamers happy. However, the issue arises because the costume had been in the store for so long that many gamers had already spent money to purchase Owl Guardian Mercy. Consequently, these individuals feel that Blizzard's decision to offer the costume for free is unfair to them.
The wave of strong criticism was so intense that Blizzard had to quickly come up with a 'reconciliation' plan. Of course, retracting the skins that had been given away for free was not an option. Therefore, in a recent announcement, the publisher declared that they would refund all the money to any player who had purchased the Owl Guardian Mercy costume recently, specifically from August 29th to September 7th, in Overwatch Coins. At this point, it appears that everything has been resolved, and this proactive move from Blizzard has garnered significant player support as they listened and provided a solution promptly.
However, not everyone is satisfied with Blizzard's handling of the situation, believing that this timeframe is somewhat unreasonable and that many people are still left disadvantaged. Nevertheless, it must be acknowledged that Blizzard handled this situation very well this time.
