It has been six years since Blizzard Entertainment initially released the first-person multiplayer shooter, team-based video game known as Overwatch. Blizzard Entertainment announced a sequel to the game that would be known as “Overwatch 2” in 2019. Unfortunately, the sequel’s development experienced setbacks, and the announcement for a beta release was finally announced three years later, on March 18, 2022.
The beta version was released on April 26, 2022, for PC players only, and access only was granted to those who meet the system and region requirements. Although the beta is not a complete version of the game and does not feature the player versus entity (PVE) addition that separates Overwatch 2 from the first Overwatch, the beta still allows for a player to experience the new player versus player changes that have been made.
Activision Blizzard, now owned by Microsoft, has also implemented different renovations to the game, with the most notable feature being the switch from six players on a team to five. In the past, a team would consist of two tank characters, two support characters, and two damage characters; however, in Overwatch 2, each team will only feature one tank in contrast to two.
A new character has been added to the game, with the last new character being added back in 2020. This new character is a damaged character named Sojourn, who will be the game’s first female playable character of African descent.
Currently, the beta is only available for PC players; however, there are plans to release a beta version for console players eventually. To opt into the beta, one must first own a copy of the original Overwatch and visit the website to request an invite.