I don’t mind unlocking the characters that much, I could speculate that the unlock system is there to not overwhelm new players with all the different characters and playstyles. It feels grindy and boring tough if you need an eternity to play the charakter that you want to play the most.
On the other hand, maybe some player finds while unlocking the characters other playstyles and characters that he loves.
Being forced to play other character contributes to a better understanding of more characters and their strength and weaknesses.
just my speculation
I don’t mind, but I can see why its annoying
Should all the gear pickups also be unlocked from the start?