Overwatch 2 Is Free to Play, Gets October 4 Release Date

Xbox Games Showcase is in full swing. We got to see that Silksong is still real. And over at Activision Blizzard, Overwatch 2 got a fresh trailer with big reveals: It launches with an October 4, 2022 (PVP, at least) early access release date as an always-on, free-to-play experience for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X. It will have cross-platform play and progression and feature a new five-versus-five multiplayer format.

Here’s a new look at the game:

See that badass lady on the right? That’s the Australian-born ruler of Junkertown, Junker Queen. She is a tank class who wields a shotgun and giant ax as weapons and is the second character reveal for Overwatch 2 after the railgun-wielding Sojourn.

There will be a deeper reveal event for Overwatch 2 on June 16 at 10 a.m. PT. As it looks now, it seems like the original game with some new characters. The maps look the same, although there are new locations at launch like the snowy New Queen Street and Midtown Manhattan.

For me, this is more Overwatch 1.5 than a true sequel. Hopefully, the event next week will show off more features that help differentiate it from the first title.