Blizzard has revealed during a developer livestream that the release date for the Overwatch 2 beta will be April 26. The beta is restricted to the PC platform, but Activision Blizzard does plan on testing future betas on consoles.
How to sign up for the Overwatch 2 beta and what to expect
#Overwatch2 PVP Beta is coming April 26.
✋ Beta Sign Up https://t.co/jC3gYjfdBc pic.twitter.com/FLVxCEtLZj
— Overwatch (@PlayOverwatch) March 18, 2022
Revamping the familiar Overwatch formula with a new 5v5 mode, the Overwatch 2 beta will also include the new hero Sojourn, a soldier who wields a railgun. As she’s a new character to the roster, it’s still unclear what her abilities will be. The beta will also let players delve into the new multiplayer mode called Push where you need to push a robot toward the enemy base.
In addition to the new Ping system, you will revisit several familiar maps – in particular, Doomfist, Sombra, Bastion, and Orisa. Several new maps will include Circuit Royal (Escort map), Toronto and Rome (two new Push maps), and Midtown (new Hybrid map).
You can sign up for the Overwatch 2 beta by heading over to the official website and opting into the test via Battle.net. Selection for the closed beta isn’t automatic, though, as Activision Blizzard will consider your computer specs as well as your region. You’ll also need to own a copy of Overwatch 1 to access the first beta on April 26. As you might expect, the developer will be testing the matchmaking system extensively, so they hope to invite enough players to have a healthy beta and invite additional people as needed.
Activision Blizzard previously announced that they were going to decouple PvE from PvP in order to get the beta tests for PvP into the hands of players sooner. Like Diablo 4, the developer has not yet announced an official release window for Overwatch 2.
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