Players of Overwatch are manipulating loot boxes. The server browser makes it possible.
Most players feared it even before the server browser was introduced in Overwatch, and it has come true. Players “earn” loot boxes by hanging around in private matches created specifically for this purpose: AFK farming experience points.
Previously, Overwatch removed absent players from a match after a short time as they were not actively participating in the game. However, in “Skirmish,” which is the practice match before a real game, you are never kicked out of the game. It didn’t take long for clever players to figure out the settings to acquire loot boxes without really participating in the game. Only one character needs to be selected, and voila – sitting in the base for half an hour yields a good 7,000 experience points.
Blizzard has not commented on this yet, but it is suspected that the developers probably don’t care much – the server browser was created with the intention that players can also acquire experience points here. How exactly they do this seems to be of little concern to the developers until we hear otherwise.
Cortyn says: Ultimately, this whole issue is not a big deal for me, as I don’t really care how players earn or buy their cosmetic upgrades. Those who feel the need to acquire loot boxes in this manner – well, my God. Their gaming talent probably isn’t that great. For me, loot boxes are just an added bonus, an occasional reward after long matches. The thought of “farming them AFK” wouldn’t cross my mind – they and the contents are simply not significant enough.
P.S: I hope I still say this when the “Eidgenossin” skin for Mercy is available again …
