Overwatch 2 will launch as a free-to-play title in Early Access for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC on October 4, Blizzard Entertainment announced.
“We can’t wait to roll out the beginning of the Overwatch 2 experience on October 4 and introduce an exciting new competitive vision, featuring amazing new content and a reimagining of the iconic heroes, maps, and gameplay that made the original game so compelling,” said Blizzard Entertainment president Mike Ybarra in a press release. “This is the beginning of an always-on and always-evolving era for the franchise, and a recommitment to serving players with frequent and substantial updates planned well into the future to keep Overwatch 2 fresh and fun for many years to come.”
Her is an overview of the game, via Blizzard Entertainment:
Featuring a new five-versus-five multiplayer format with cross-platform play and cross-platform progression, Overwatch 2‘s player-versus-player experience is designed to offer incredible and fresh competitive gameplay with a new, free-to-play model and major game updates such as new heroes, hero reworks, maps, modes, and premium cosmetics.
At launch, players will have an opportunity to get their hands on the newest tank hero to join the roster, the ruthless Australian-born ruler of Junkertown: the Junker Queen. More details on the Junker Queen, Overwatch 2‘s live service model and seasonal content plan, and the upcoming phase of the game’s closed beta testing will be shared during the Overwatch 2 Reveal Event livestream on YouTube or Twitch this Thursday, June 16, at 10:00 a.m. PT / 1:00 p.m. ET.
The Junker Queen is the second new hero revealed for Overwatch 2, and the franchise’s 34th hero overall, following Sojourn—a high-mobility and railgun-wielding former Overwatch captain with cybernetic capabilities. New and iconic international locations will also arrive in-game at launch, from the snowy New Queen Street in Toronto to the bustle of Midtown Manhattan. Overwatch 2 additionally introduces the new Push game mode, a symmetrical map type where teams battle to take control and advance a centrally-located robot deeper into enemy territory than the opposing team.
Watch new trailer below. View a new set of screenshots at the gallery.