Is Overwatch 2 Free?

The Second Coming Of Heroes.

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Overwatch 2 is coming out soon, which has people asking whether or not it’ll be a free-to-play game.

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Luckily we’re here with the answer, so get ready to find out exactly how you can play Overwatch 2 and how the game plans to support owners of Overwatch 1.

Will Overwatch 2 Be Free?

The short answer is: Yes. Overwatch 2 will be free.

The long answer is still yes, but with a few caveats. Akin to similar games of this ilk such as Apex Legends and Fortnite, you’ll be able to purchase a battle pass for the game. This battle pass will allow you to unlock customization options and new characters along the way.

This has drawn several complaints from people who would rather have the entire game unlocked at the start and who believe that the battle pass should only serve to accentuate customization options, but Activision-Blizzard has already committed to making characters unlockable through this system, so it’s unlikely to change anytime soon.

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There’s both the premium battle pass and the standard battle pass available. The premium battle pass will include the following:

• Immediate access to Kiriko
• 20% XP Battle Pass Boost
• 1 Mythic Skin
• 5 Legendary Skins and 1 Epic Skin
• 3 Play of the Game Intros
• 4 Weapon Charms
• 3 Emotes
• 3 Souvenirs
• 6 Poses
• 6 Name Cards
• 30+ additional cosmetic rewards

It’s more than likely that there’s going to be more than one battle pass if other games such as Fortnite are anything to go by. Those games work in seasons of content, adding new maps, new areas, new characters, and occasionally new mechanics to bring back their players and not bleed overall player count. It’s likely that another premium battle pass will give different benefits to players.

What Happens To Previous Progression?

Overwatch 1 owners will receive the following items:

• Founder’s Pack
• 2 Skins For Doomfist
• 2 Skins For Sombra
• Profile Icon
• Kiriko For Free On Launch

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It’s not a lot, but it’s at the very least a start. Hopefully, Activision-Blizzard will commit to supporting Overwatch 1 owners more over the course of Overwatch 2’s lifespan.

What Do You Need To Run Overwatch 2?

Minimum

• Operating system: Windows® 7 / Windows® 8 / Windows® 10 64-bit (latest Service Pack)
• Processor: Intel® Core™ i3 or AMD Phenom™ X3 8650
• Video: NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 600 series, AMD Radeon™ HD 7000 series
• Memory: 6 GB RAM
• Storage: 50 GB available hard drive space

Recommended

• Operating system: Windows® 7 / Windows® 8 / Windows® 10 64-bit (latest Service Pack)
• Processor: Intel® Core™ i3 or AMD Phenom™ X3 8650
• Video: NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 600 series, AMD Radeon™ HD 7000 series
• Memory: 6 GB RAM
• Storage: 50 GB available hard drive space

The game will also be available on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S, and Xbox Series X.

What’s The Catch To Overwatch 2 Being Free?

Okay so yeah, there is a catch to Overwatch 2 being free. In the same vein as several other free-to-play games, there’s a whole host of microtransactions to wade your way through. You can buy in-game currency and indeed you HAVE to if you want to purchase the premium battle pass. It’s annoying, but it’s a sacrifice being made in order to make the game free.

Overwatch 2 FAQs

Will there be more than one Battle Pass in Overwatch 2?

It’s more than likely that there’s going to be more than one battle pass if other games such as Fortnite are anything to go by. Those games work in seasons of content, adding new maps, new areas, new characters, and occasionally new mechanics to bring back their players and not bleed overall player count. It’s likely that another premium battle pass will give different benefits to players.

Is Overwatch dead?

Overwatch 1, as you might know, is in fact completely dead. This is due to the fact that Activision-Blizzard is planning to shut down Overwatch 1 on October 2nd, with the game’s fanbase and player base then hopefully moving over to Overwatch 2. Overwatch isn’t bleeding players or anything, but Activision-Blizzard does believe it’s time for them to move onto a brand-new title.