Is there a way to get a combat pass for Overwatch 2 for free now? No. Will there be such an opportunity? Yes.
Currently, there is no such thing as a free premium combat pass in Overwatch 2. You have to spend more or less each time to get the paid version of the pass. There is no way to magically unlock it for free.
However, this does not mean that there will not be such an option. Unfortunately, Blizzard has not yet given specific details, but only threw in generalities. So one has to wait, unfortunately. What is known, however, is what you can do at this point to “build” yourself already the foundation for a free pass.
Free pass in the future
Of course, you can buy a pass, then earn currency and have this pass in some time in theory for free. Unfortunately, only in theory, currently, in the first season, there is no chance to have a paid pass without spending a penny.
That may be about to change. This is evidenced by what Blizzard itself wrote some time ago on the official site in the endorsements section. As it reads:
“Our goal is that players recognize and aspire to be positive forces in our community, and we plan to award Battle Pass experience to players with high endorsement levels to show our appreciation!”
Source: https://overwatch.blizzard.com/en-us/news/23857517/matryca-obronna-aktywna-uczciwa-i-pozytywna-rozgrywka-w-overwatch-2/From this, it is clear that those with enough endorsements will get a combat pass for free as a thank-you. Only that there are no details on this yet. These are currently plans and it is not even known if they will be implemented. So one has to approach this with a pinch of salt. It’s a bit like the honor system in LoL and free skins.
The pass can be purchased in various ways at the moment. Buy its basic version, buy the Post Pack, etc. However, all this involves spending real money.