Overwatch 2 Release Date, Closed Beta and Features (April 2022)

Overwatch was one of the biggest launches of 2016, when it came out. The game immediately swept the gaming industry, and I remember Overwatch being any game that someone would talk about. Just a few days after launch, the game gathered widespread mainstream appeal. One of the reasons for Overwatch's success was its developer's name. It was Blizzard's first new IP in almost a decade, and fans were very excited for the game. Overwatch 2 was announced at BlizzCon in 2019, and while the game hasn't come out yet, Blizzard has shown off a lot of new content related to Overwatch 2 at almost every BlizzCon event. Below you can find everything you need to know about the upcoming Overwatch 2.

When is the Overwatch 2 release date? What will the closed beta content be like? What are the Overwatch 2 features? Will Overwatch 2 be free? The answers to all your questions are in our article.

When Is the Overwatch 2 Release Date?

Overwatch 2 was announced in 2019 with no confirmed release date, and 3 years after its announcement it still has no actual release date. The game starts a closed beta on April 26. This confirms that we can expect Overwatch 2 to be released this year if there are no further delays.

What Will the Overwatch 2 Closed Beta Content Be Like?

The closed beta will start on April 26 with the following content:

• All the maps from Overwatch 1, plus 4 new maps made for Overwatch 2.
• New Hero: “Sojourn”.
• New Push Mode.
• Hero Reworks for Orisa, Doomfist, Bastion and Sombra.
• A new Ping system similar to games like Apex Legends.
• 5v5 instead of 6v6 as in OW1.

Players who want to join the Closed Beta can sign up here.

What Are the Overwatch 2 Features?

Since it was announced, a lot of brand-new content has been shown for Overwatch, from a full-fledged PvE story mode in which you play as specific heroes with their own special skill trees to new maps and game modes.

PvE

The biggest addition to OW2 is the co-op PvE story mode. Overwatch 2 will start with a proper PvE story mode that players can play together with up to 4 players. This mode works similarly to something like Left 4 Dead, where players have to take on various missions against the clock and fight regular enemy armies while completing objectives. Players will also be able to earn EXP and level up through a skill tree for each hero, so we can expect great replayability and longevity from this mode.

Skill Tree

Every playable hero in Overwatch 2's PvE mode will have a special skill tree that customizes their playstyle in PvE, and these changes will not carry over to online PvP matches. The skill tree has a bunch of interesting new skills that greatly change how a hero plays. For example, May has an ability that will let her turn into an icy bowling ball.

New Maps

Overwatch 2 will launch with a new set of maps. One of the complaints later in Overwatch 1's life cycle was the lack of new maps, and OW2 seems set to lighten up on maps. The closed beta will start with 4 new maps for the game, with more to be released.

New Hero – Sojourn

Overwatch 2 also adds a brand-new hero to the fight with Sojourn. Since the DPS stack grows with every new hero, Sojourn will be another DPS character for Overwatch.

Hero Rebalancing

Following many players' complaints, Overwatch 2 will significantly rebalance many heroes in the game to be stronger and relevant to the game's current meta. Balancing has always been one of Overwatch's most criticized aspects, and I really hope Blizzard can tune balance successfully in Overwatch 2.

Another thing Blizzard has mentioned for Overwatch 2 is how certain roles will be changed to make every playstyle fun. Healers will be tankier, tanks can also deal high amounts of damage, and secondary DPS and DPS characters can often function because that aggressive playstyle will be faster and more rewarding.

Along with the rebalancing come new redesigns; the base look of every returning hero in Overwatch 2 has been changed slightly to imply that players are actually playing a sequel rather than an expansion pack.

Will Overwatch 2 Be Free?

Like Overwatch 1, Overwatch 2 will not be free to play. Although there have been rumors for some time that the first game would go F2P, none of these rumors has been confirmed yet. Overwatch 2 is not currently available for digital pre-order, but it can be purchased through Battle.net for players who want to get it as soon as it is ready.

As for the price, we can assume Overwatch 2 will be at a similar price point to the first game. Overwatch 1 was $40 when it launched with an additional Origins Edition that included some very neat special skins. We can expect Overwatch 2 to be in a somewhat similar ballpark in terms of pricing.