Summary
Overwatch 2just got a mysterious new currency called Hard Light Crystals, though its source and purpose are currently unknown. Likely intended only for use in China, this currency can currently be seen in theOverwatch 2Hero Gallery’s filter options.
Recently,Overwatch 2released its massive Season 15 update, adding Loot Boxes and game-changing Perks to the first-person shooter. The content update has been so well-received thatOverwatch 2’s rating on Steam is slowly crawling up from being the worst-reviewed game on the platform.
However,Overwatch 2added something else new to the game in Season 15 that wasn’t documented in the patch notes. While exploring theHero Gallery inOverwatch 2, a currency called Hard Light Crystals can be seen in the Edit Filters menu, though it is currently not associated with any in-game cosmetics. Sporting a unique light blue coloration, the exact purpose or source of this new currency is unknown.
Hard Light Crystal Currency in Overwatch 2
Several reports from sites like Overwatch Cavalry andd3watchclaim Hard Light Crystals are supposed to be a new currency used to buy Loot Boxes specific to China, now thatOverwatch 2has officially returned to the region, though nothing has seemingly been confirmed by Blizzard or NetEase at the moment. Others speculate that it may be a Loot Box duplicate protection currency given to players with most or all cosmetics in the game or that it could be associated with the Hard Light weapon skins fromOverwatch 2Season 8.
Regardless, Hard Light Crystals would only add to the currency problemOverwatch 2has. Many fans are already exasperated by the abundance of other currencies from the game’s history and are not happy with the idea ofOverwatch 2adding more on top of the Overwatch Coins, Mythic Prisms, Competitive Points, and others players are already collecting.
Used for
Battle Pass, shop bundles, hero cosmetics
Battle Pass, weekly challenges
Legacy cosmetics
Mythic hero and weapon skins
Competitive Point conversion at end of year
Twitch streams, microtransactions (discontinued)
Limited-time event activities
Event cosmetics
Unknown
Luckily, mostOverwatch 2fans likely don’t need to worry too much about the Hard Light Crystals. If Hard Light Crystals are specific to Chinese players, they were likely added to the international client by accident, and if they were a part of the Loot Box system, or were coming to all game regions,Overwatch 2likely would have mentioned them in the Spotlight event or blogs leading up to Season 15’s release. Regardless, Blizzard or NetEase will likely reveal what exactly Hard Light Crystals are and where they are found soon – and if they arespecific to ChineseOverwatch 2fans, or if the new currency will be added to the game everywhere.
Overwatch 2
WHERE TO PLAY
Overwatch 2 is an always-on and ever-evolving free-to-play, team-based action game set in an optimistic future, where every match is the ultimate 5v5 battlefield brawl. Power up your railgun and disrupt the battlefield as Sojourn, or yield your axe and command attention as Junker Queen. Battle to take control of a robot and move it toward the enemy base in the new Push Mode. Bring the fight to new destinations across the globe in iconic locations like New York, Rome, Monte Carlo and Rio. Daily challenges and frequent updates mean there is always something new to play.
