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Will Overwatch 1 Be Shut Down?

The Heroes Are Going... For A Bit.

Updated: Apr 19, 2023 3:59 pm
Will Overwatch 1 Be Shut Down?

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Overwatch 2 is coming extremely soon, which has led to the rather prevalent fear of if Activision-Blizzard is planning to keep the game active or not. Will Overwatch 1 be shut down?

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We have the answer for you right here, and it’s not a pretty one.

Will Overwatch 1 Be Shut Down?

As was stated by Blizzard’s Jon Spector:

“So roughly a day before Overwatch 2 launches, we’re going to be taking down the Overwatch 1 servers,”

READ MORE: Overwatch 2 Characters

“So that means, as a practical point, that October 2nd really is the last day to go in and play Overwatch 1. And then it’s a 27-hour downtime that we’re planning in order to get the Overwatch 2 server stood up and running.”

This means that you really don’t have long to play Overwatch 1 before you have to wait for Overwatch 2 to launch, which leads to the next question.

What Happens If You Already Own Overwatch 1?

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If you already own Overwatch 1, you’ll be delighted to find out you don’t completely lose everything to the flow of time.

Overwatch 1 owners will receive the following items on launch:

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

READ MORE: Is Overwatch 2 Free?

It’s not a lot but it is something for players to hold dear as evidence that they actually took part in the original game, though it’ll be extremely understandable if this leaves a sour taste in players’ mouths. After all, they did have to pay for Overwatch 1, and Overwatch 2 is completely free in contrast to that. It is possible though that Activision-Blizzard decide to give Overwatch 1 players a little something extra further down the line, so don’t give up hope just yet.

Overwatch 2 FAQs

Is it still possible to access Overwatch 1?

Now that Overwatch 2 is out, it has essentially overwritten Overwatch 1. It is no longer possible to play Overwatch 1.

What is the difference between Overwatch 1 and Overwatch 2?

There are a few key differences between Overwatch 1 and Overwatch 2.

New maps, heroes, game modes, and the introduction of PvE in future.

Another thing you may notice is that the team size has been reduced from 6 to 5. This has the effect of only allowing one tank per team.


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