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At the time of writing, Blizzard has shut down the online servers for its popular first-person Hero shooter,Overwatch, in the lead-up to the launch ofOverwatch 2. And because there seem to be many questions popping up from theOverwatchcommunity, this guide will cover the answers to some most-searched queries online at the moment to prepare players (new and old) forOverwatch 2’s big launch. Let’s get into it.
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When Does Overwatch 2 Launch?
According to a blog post from Blizzard,Overwatch 2’s release time across all platforms is approximately noon PT on Tuesday, October 4.
Is Overwatch 2 Free to Play?
Overwatch 2can be downloaded and played without paying a dollar. However, there will be a paid Battle Pass at launch that can be bought using Overwatch Coins, which can be earned by completing in-game challenges or can be purchased with real-world money at the shop. Players can unlock the new Heroes withoutgrinding by getting the paid Battle Pass.
Is Overwatch 1 Still Playable?
Unfortunately,Overwatch 1will cease to existand be absorbed into the sequel. As of the time of writing, the first game’s servers have been shut down.
How Do I Transfer Overwatch 1 Skins to Overwatch 2?
With cross-progression finally coming toOverwatch, players will be able to carry over their hard-earned cosmetic items into the sequel. However, to do so,Overwatchfans will need to merge their consoleOverwatchaccounts to their Battle.net account. To do so, follow these steps from Blizzard:
Keep in mind that players will only have one chance to merge the correct account, so be careful when choosing the option.
What’s Changed in Overwatch 2
The most significant and exciting change coming toOverwatch 2is moving from six-player teams to five-player teams. And because of this, manyOverwatchcharacters have received major reworks.
There will also be a seasonal model this time, giving players new heroes, maps, and cosmetics every nine weeks. And a new gamemode called ‘Push’ is also being added toOverwatch 2, where both teams fight to take control of a robot on the map to push a barricade to the opponent’s side to achieve victory.
How to Activate SMS Protection
BecauseOverwatch 2is free to play, Blizzard willrequire all players to attach a phone number to their Battle.net accountif they want to jump into the hero shooter. Blizzard states that the numbers are needed to help protect players from “disruptive in-game behavior.”
To activate SMS protection, complete the following steps:
Who are the New Overwatch 2 Heroes
Overwatch 2will launch with three new heroes, but Blizzard will add more as time goes on. Thethree new heroes so far are Kiriko, Junker Queen, and Sojourn, who are Support, Tank, and Damage types, respectively.
Overwatch 2can be preloaded, but the timing is different based on the platform. For PC players and those that own the Watchpoint Pack,Overwatch 2’s preloading started on September 30 –the file is around 50 GB.
For returning console players,Overwatch 2’s preload starts a couple of hours before launch at 9 AM PT on October 4–it’s around 30GB.
Will Overwatch 2 Be on Switch?
Overwatch 2will launch on the Nintendo Switchsimultaneously with the other platforms.
Overwatch 2launches on July 06, 2025, for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
