If you’ve spent any time in the Overwatch community over the years, you’ve almost certainly seen players showing off shiny gold weapons in lobbies, a status symbol of hundreds of hours spent grinding competitive matches on their favorite heroes. If you’ve taken a break from the game recently or just hopped in for the first time, you might be wondering can you still get gold weapons in Overwatch 2, especially with all the system overhauls Blizzard has rolled out since the sequel launched. This guide breaks down everything you need to know, from how the competitive point system works now to common mistakes that can slow down your grind by months.
Can You Still Get Gold Weapons in Overwatch 2? The Short Answer
The short answer is a resounding yes. Blizzard has never announced plans to retire gold weapons, and they remain a permanent, core part of the Overwatch 2 competitive reward system as of the latest patch. Unlike limited-time battle pass skins or event-exclusive cosmetics, gold weapons are always available to unlock, no matter what season you’re playing in. I’ve personally unlocked three gold weapons for my main heroes in the last six months, so I can confirm firsthand that the unlock process is still fully functional. The only real difference between the original Overwatch and Overwatch 2’s gold weapon system is minor adjustments to how you earn competitive points, the currency used to purchase them.
How Competitive Points Work for Gold Weapon Unlocks
Gold weapons can only be purchased with competitive points, a currency you earn exclusively by playing Overwatch 2’s competitive game modes. You can’t buy competitive points with real money, which makes gold weapons a true marker of time spent playing ranked, not just how much you’re willing to spend on cosmetics. You earn competitive points in two main ways: per match rewards, and end-of-season rank rewards. Per match, you’ll earn 15 competitive points for a win, 5 points for a draw, and 0 points for a loss, as long as you stay in the match until the final score screen. At the end of every competitive season, you’ll get a one-time competitive point bonus based on the highest rank you achieved that season, across all roles and game modes:
- Bronze rank end of season: 65 competitive points
- Silver rank end of season: 125 competitive points
- Gold rank end of season: 250 competitive points
- Platinum rank end of season: 500 competitive points
- Diamond rank end of season: 750 competitive points
- Master rank end of season: 1200 competitive points
- Grandmaster rank end of season: 1750 competitive points
Every gold weapon, no matter what hero it’s for, costs 3000 competitive points total. Your competitive point balance never resets between seasons, so you can save up points for as long as you want until you have enough for your main hero. You can earn points from both role queue and open queue competitive modes, and all points go into the same shared pool, so you can mix and match modes to grind faster.
Common Mistakes That Slow Down Your Gold Weapon Grind
A lot of players spend months longer than they need to grinding for gold weapons because they make simple, avoidable mistakes that cut down their competitive point earnings. The first and most costly mistake is leaving competitive matches early. If you leave a match before it’s officially completed, you’ll get 0 competitive points for that game even if your team ends up winning, and you’ll also get a leaver penalty that can lock you out of competitive play for hours or even days if you do it repeatedly. Never leave a competitive match early unless it’s a true emergency, even if your team is getting rolled badly. Staying until the end avoids penalties, and you never know when your team might pull off a surprise comeback win.
Another common mistake is only queuing for one role, especially popular DPS roles that have 8 to 10 minute wait times on average. Queuing for all roles cuts your average wait time down to 2 to 3 minutes in most regions, which means you can fit 3x more matches into a single play session, and earn points much faster. I tested this myself last season, and I earned 40% more points per hour playing all roles vs only queuing for support. You should also make sure to check the competitive challenges tab every week. Seasonal competitive challenges can give up to 500 extra competitive points per season for simple tasks like winning 10 matches on a specific role, which is a huge chunk of progress towards your 3000 point goal without any extra grind. The last mistake to avoid is playing competitive when you’re tilted or burnt out. If you’re on a 4 game losing streak, you’re far more likely to make bad plays and lose more matches, wasting your time. Take a 30 minute break, play some quick play or arcade mode, and come back when you’re focused again.
Is Unlocking a Gold Weapon Worth Your Time?
Before you sink dozens of hours into grinding competitive matches, it’s worth weighing the pros and cons of unlocking a gold weapon to make sure it’s right for you. On the plus side, gold weapons are permanent cosmetics that never expire, so you’ll be able to use them on your main for as long as you play the game. They’re also a great way to show off your dedication to a specific hero, and most players recognize gold weapons as a sign you have plenty of experience playing that character. I main Mercy, and I get at least one compliment per match on my gold staff, which makes the grind feel worth it every time.
That said, there are some downsides to consider too. The grind is fairly long for casual players: if you only play 2 to 3 hours a week, it can take 2 to 3 full seasons to save up 3000 competitive points. Gold weapons don’t give any gameplay advantage at all, so they’re 100% a cosmetic purchase, not something that will make you better at the game. Some heroes’ gold weapons are also far less noticeable than others: support heroes like Lucio or Zenyatta have small weapons that are rarely visible to other players, while DPS heroes like Cassidy or Reaper have large, prominent guns that are on screen almost constantly. If you’re on the fence about spending your points, you can preview what any hero’s gold weapon looks like for free in the hero gallery, so you can make sure you like the design before you commit your points.
At the end of the day, can you still get gold weapons in Overwatch 2? Absolutely, and they’re still one of the most rewarding cosmetics to earn in the game for players who enjoy competitive play. You don’t have to be a top 500 player to unlock one either: even casual competitive players can save up enough points for a gold weapon if they play consistently and avoid the common mistakes we covered. If you love playing a specific hero and want a way to show off your dedication, the gold weapon grind is 100% worth it. Just take it slow, have fun with your matches, and you’ll have that shiny gold weapon in your inventory before you know it.