Everything we know about Overwatch 2: Beta, release and more

(Pocket-lint) – It’s certainly been a long time coming, but we’re finally getting closer to the point where Overwatch 2 is going to release – the game is in testing and we’re getting to see and try more and more gameplay by the week. After the success of the first Overwatch, Blizzard has its work cut out to create another hit, but things are looking pretty positive. Here are all the details you need to know.

Overwatch 2 release date and betas

We finally know when the PvP section of Overwatch 2 will release, after it was unveiled at Xbox’s summer games showcase in June 2022, along with the huge news that the game will be free to play.

It’ll release on 4 October 2022, so there isn’t too long to wait. The game underwent a major public beta test in May 2022, letting loads of players try it out, and we now know that there’s a second testing phase starting on 26 June 2022, with sign-ups opening on 16 June 2022.

#Overwatch2 Beta begins June 28  PC & Console
 Junker Queen & a New Map
 Sign-Ups & more details coming June 16 pic.twitter.com/XPJOhfeVjE

— Overwatch (@PlayOverwatch) June 14, 2022

That means you’ll have another chance to try the game out before it launches, if you want it!

Overwatch 2 platforms

Overwatch 2 is a game that Blizzard is aiming to get a lot of players for, so it makes sense that it’s coming out for just about every major platform.

The game will release for PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One, as well as a Switch version. It has full cross-platform play and cross-progression so that you can play with your account on multiple devices without any issues.

Overwatch 2 gameplay details and heroes

There are some sizeable changes coming to Overwatch 2 right from the off, that we know about – the biggest one being that it’s changing the entire game from a 6v6 multiplayer game to 5v5 one – reducing the number of possible team compositions and tightening up its maps.

Activision Blizzard
Everything we know about Overwatch 2: Beta, trailers and more photo 1

This is going to be very interesting to gauge over time, but it’ll certainly be a little unhelpful for clans, teams, and groups that are used to playing together. Still, if it results in a game that’s easier to keep balanced, that might well be worth it.

There will be a wide range of heroes available in Overwatch 2, including reworked or tweaked versions of every hero from the first game. We know of at least two new addition, too – Sojourn and Junker Queen. Sojourn is a soldier with a powerful railgun that’s a bundle of fun to use, and her mixture of firepower and mobility could be potent in the right hands.

Junker Queen seems to blend melee and ranged combat, but we haven’t had a detailed showcase of her powers quite yet. Beyond that, Overwatch 2 doesn’t look to reinvent the wheel, with team-based modes that are familiar, including objective capture modes, control-point pushing and more. The core of the game remains that fine balance between countering the abilities of enemy heroes and managing your own for maximum efficiency.

The full list of confirmed heroes for the game is as follows:

  • Ana
  • Ashe
  • Baptiste
  • Bastion
  • Brigitte
  • Cassidy
  • D.VA
  • Doomfist
  • Echo
  • Genji
  • Hanzo
  • Junker Queen
  • Junkrat
  • Lucio
  • Mei
  • Mercy
  • Moira
  • Orisa 
  • Pharah
  • Reaper
  • Reinhardt
  • Roadhog
  • Sigma
  • Sojurn
  • Soldier 76
  • Sombra
  • Symmetra
  • Torbjorn
  • Tracer
  • Widowmaker
  • Winston
  • Wrecking Ball
  • Zarya
  • Zenyatta

We also know that, somewhere down the line, Blizzard is planning a full PvE co-op experience for Overwatch 2 that sees players team up against AI enemies, but this has now been decoupled from the PvP core of the game, which will come out first.

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It’s a welcome step that Blizzard has taken to ensure that the game doesn’t take too long to come out, and since competitive multiplayer was the heart of the first game, it’s reassuring that we’re getting that section first for its sequel.

Writing by Max Freeman-Mills.

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