Why Level Up?
Overwatch likes to reward its players with customization items each time you level up, and that’s basically the primary motivation to keep playing. You earn a Loot Box with each level you gain, and this will give you four random customization options. These can be anything, ranging from character dialogue lines and taunts, to sprays and skins for characters. You don’t have any control over what kinds of items you get, or which character you get these items for. So if you really want to get that one cool skin for Mercy, you have to keep leveling up and grabbing Loot Boxes, and hope that you get lucky.
However, there is some good news. The rewards system in Overwatch works such that you won’t ever receive duplicate items in your Loot Boxes. The duplicates will be converted to in-game credits, which you can save up to buy the skins you want for a particular hero. Even if you’re not getting four different drops as you collect more Loot Boxes, it’s still worth it for all the credits you can accumulate to spend at the store.
How Progression Works
As you gain levels in Overwatch, the amount of experience points needed to hit that next level will also start to go up. Thankfully, the amount of points required will cap at level 23, and every level after that will require 22,000 points. Thanks to reddit user p_Red, listed below is the amount of points needed for each level gained in Overwatch.
- Level 01 – 1500
- Level 02 – 3000
- Level 03 – 4500
- Level 04 – 6000
- Level 05 – 7500
- Level 06 – 8500
- Level 07 – 9500
- Level 08 – 10500
- Level 09 – 11500
- Level 10 – 12500
- Level 11 – 13500
- Level 12 – 14500
- Level 13 – 15500
- Level 14 – 16500
- Level 15 – 17500
- Level 16 – 18500
- Level 17 – 19000
- Level 18 – 19500
- Level 19 – 20000
- Level 20 – 20500
- Level 21 – 21000
- Level 22 – 21500
- Level 23+ – 22000
It’s also worth noting that you’ll earn 4.01 experience points for every second you spend in a match, so make sure not to leave a game midway or you won’t be able to reap the full benefits of your time spend there.
Earn Medals and Win
The best way to rack up experience points is to earn medals and, of course, win the match. You’ll earn 500 experience points for a victory, and 250 points for just completing a match. However, you can also get points from earning medals, which are rewarded based on how well you perform and how you play your character. You can earn Bronze, Silver, and Gold medals.
However, do note that the medals do not stack, and your reward is based on the highest level of medal that you got. This means that if you earn two Bronze medals and one Gold medal, you’ll only get the experience points rewarded from the Gold, and nothing from the other two. Bronze medals will give you 50 points, Silver medals give you 100, and Gold medals give you 150.
You can earn medals by completing match objectives, and playing up your characters’ strengths. For instance, if you play as Mercy, your medals are rewarded based on how much HP you’ve helped your teammates to regain, and how many offensive assists you’ve gained by buffing them. In short, play your character well and make sure to keep track of your team’s objectives – you will be duly rewarded.
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