If you’ve spent any time scrolling through Overwatch 2’s post-match lobby or watching top competitive streamers, you’ve probably spotted shiny, gilded weapons slung across the backs of fan-favorite heroes. You may have even asked yourself: are golden guns in Overwatch 2 a real unlockable, or just a rare limited-time cosmetic? These sought-after weapons have been a staple of the Overwatch franchise since the first game launched, but many new players joining after the free-to-play shift aren’t sure if they made the jump to the sequel. In this guide, we’ll break down everything you need to know about these prestige cosmetics, from how to earn them to whether they’re worth the grind.
Are Golden Guns in Overwatch 2 Available to All Players?
The short answer is yes, golden guns are fully available in Overwatch 2 for both long-time franchise fans and new free-to-play players. Some players worry that after the franchise shifted to a free-to-play model, these legacy rewards would be locked behind paywalls, but Blizzard kept the original unlock system intact as a way to reward long-term competitive players. All golden guns earned in the original Overwatch automatically transfer to your Overwatch 2 account as long as you use the same Battle.net profile, no extra steps required.
It’s also important to clear up one of the most common misconceptions right away: golden guns are 100% cosmetic. I’ve run into dozens of new players in quick play who assume golden gun users deal extra damage or have faster reload speeds, but that’s never been the case for these rewards. They don’t change any weapon stats, sound effects (outside of a few small exceptions for specific hero skins), or gameplay performance in any way. They’re just a fun way to show off your time and effort put into the game’s competitive modes.
How to Unlock Golden Guns in Overwatch 2
Golden guns can only be unlocked with Competitive Points, a unique currency earned exclusively through playing Overwatch 2’s competitive game modes. You earn 15 Competitive Points for every competitive match you win, 5 points for a draw, and 0 points for a loss. You also get a large one-time payout of Competitive Points at the end of each competitive season, based on the highest rank you achieved that season across all roles. Each golden gun costs 3000 Competitive Points, regardless of which hero you’re unlocking it for.
You do not need to purchase any premium battle pass tiers or microtransactions to unlock golden guns, they are 100% earnable through free play of the competitive game modes. If you’re new to competitive play, don’t let the 3000 point cost scare you off. Most casual competitive players earn between 500 and 1000 points per season, so you can unlock a golden gun every 3 to 6 seasons even if you only play a few matches a week. If you want to speed up the grind, follow these simple tips:
That means if you’re a support main stuck in Silver, you can still grind out points faster by playing your off-role in open queue if you perform better there, no need to limit yourself to one game mode. Competitive Points also don’t expire between seasons, so you can save up for as long as you want without worrying about losing your progress.
Pros and Cons of Unlocking a Golden Gun First
Once you hit that 3000 Competitive Point mark, it can be tough to pick which hero to give the golden treatment first. The right choice depends entirely on your play style and preferences, but it helps to weigh the ups and downs of different options before you spend your hard-earned points. You’ll get to show off your golden gun every time you queue your most played hero, making it feel like a real reward for all the hours you’ve put into mastering that character. The con? If your main falls out of meta after a balance patch or you get bored of playing them after a few seasons, you might feel like you wasted your points.
If you pick a popular hero that fits almost every team comp, like Lucio or Soldier: 76, you’ll get more use out of the skin across different game modes, even if they aren’t your absolute main. The downside here is that you won’t get that personal connection to the reward if you barely play the hero outside of forced team comps. I made that mistake with Wrecking Ball in my first year of Overwatch 2, and I’ve only used the golden gun skin a handful of times because I barely play tank roles these days.
If you main multiple heroes in the same role, you might want to hold off on spending your points until you’re sure which one you’ll stick with long term. Golden guns never expire or get removed from your account, so you can take as long as you want to pick which hero to unlock for, no rush to spend your points as soon as you hit the 3000 mark.
Common Misconceptions About Overwatch 2 Golden Guns
There are a ton of myths floating around the Overwatch 2 community about golden guns, so we’re debunking the most persistent ones here to help you avoid misinformation. The most common myth is that golden guns give you extra damage or faster reload speed, which we already cleared up earlier, but it bears repeating. There are zero gameplay advantages to using a golden gun, no matter what you hear from frustrated teammates in quick play. The only difference is the visual look of the weapon, nothing more.
Another common myth is that you can only get golden guns during limited-time events. That’s not true at all, golden guns are available to unlock year-round, and Competitive Points don’t expire between seasons, so you can save up for years if you want. Many new players also assume golden guns are only for high-rank players, but that’s not the case either. Even Bronze players can earn them, it just takes longer. I know a Bronze support main who has golden guns for both Mercy and Kiriko, they just play a lot of competitive every season and save up points slowly.
The last big myth is that you can only use golden guns in competitive lobbies. That’s false, You can equip your golden gun across all game modes, including quick play, arcade, and custom games, not just competitive lobbies. You can also toggle the golden gun skin on and off whenever you want in the hero customization menu, so you can switch back to the default weapon skin if you get tired of the gilded look.
At the end of the day, if you were wondering are golden guns in Overwatch 2 worth the grind, the answer depends entirely on what you want out of your time playing the game. If you love showing off your progress and flexing your main hero to other players, they’re one of the most satisfying prestige rewards the game has to offer. If you don’t care about cosmetics and only play for fun, you can easily skip the competitive grind entirely and never miss out on anything that impacts your gameplay. Either way, these gilded weapons remain one of the most iconic parts of the Overwatch franchise, and it’s easy to see why so many players set unlocking one as their first long-term goal when they start playing.