Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Gaming
  3. News

Overwatch 2 closed beta is coming to PC next month

By

Overwatch 2 is getting a closed beta for its PvP mode next month. A developer update video released today provided a wealth of new details on the upcoming game and its upcoming beta.

Overwatch 2 | Developer Update

Players and community members can sign up for the closed beta now, which will take place in late April. The closed beta will include a new damage hero named Soujourn, the new Push game mode, 5v5 multiplayer, several hero reworks, and four new maps.

Recommended Videos

In the developer update, game director Aaron Keller explained that the dev team is “decoupling” Overwatch 2‘s player vs. player mode from its player vs. enemy mode in order to give the community access to multiplayer PvP modes faster. He apologized for the lack of meaningful content released in Overwatch during the development of its sequel and for the silence that followed the announcement of Overwatch 2. 

According to Keller, the team is looking to build on what made Overwatch great by expanding its communication systems, fine-tuning its combat and hero balance, and introducing entirely new modes of play in Overwatch 2.

Prior to the closed beta, a closed alpha will be taking place starting today. Blizzard employees, Overwatch League pro players, and a handful of others will be the first to test Overwatch 2‘s new systems, features, and reworks before a wider group of players receives access to them in the beta. Keller promised regular updates leading up to the game’s release and reiterated the team’s commitment to delivering both quality PvP and PvE experiences to players for a long time coming.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Emily Morrow
Emily Morrow
Emily Morrow is a games journalist and narrative designer who has written for a variety of online publications. If she’s…
Nintendo confirms that Switch 2 and a June Direct are coming
A Nintendo Switch Red and Blue system.

Nintendo has finally confirmed two important things that people were speculating about. First off, we learned that another Nintendo Direct showcase will be taking place this June. More importantly, Nintendo finally confirmed that it is working on a Nintendo Switch successor and said we'd learn more about it within this fiscal year.

This all came from a statement by President Shuntaro Furukawa on Nintendo's corporate X (formerly Twitter) account. "We will make an announcement about the successor to Nintendo Switch within this fiscal year. It will have been over nine years since we announced the existence of Nintendo Switch back in March 2015," the post confirms. "We will be holding a Nintendo Direct this June regarding the Nintendo Switch software lineup for the latter half of 2024, but please be aware that there will be no mention of the Nintendo Switch successor during that presentation."

Read more
PlayStation reverses course on controversial Helldivers 2 PC change
Two soldiers hug in front of an explosion in Helldivers 2.

Sony will no longer require PC players of Helldivers 2 to create a PlayStation Network account in order to access the game. This reversal followed a weekend of controversy that saw both Helldivers games getting review bombed on Steam.

If you're unfamiliar with this controversy, Sony and Arrowhead Game Studios angered Helldivers 2 players with an announcement last week. They planned to start enforcing a PlayStation Network account requirement that Helldivers 2 on PC had ignored since shortly after launch. This already didn't sit well with PC players who flock to Steam in order to avoid making accounts elsewhere, but the situation worsened once players noticed Helldivers 2 was sold and purchased by people in regions where people can't create a PlayStation Network account. This resulted in a massive review-bombing campaign on Steam, Valve allowing refunds, and Steam delisting the game in regions that don't allow PlayStation Network accounts.

Read more
Helldivers 2 PC players are furious over this controversial change
A Helldivers 2 player fires a laser canon.

Helldivers 2, February's surprise multiplayer hit from Arrowhead Game Studios and Sony Interactive Entertainment, is now getting bombarded with negative reviews on Steam. That's because the game will soon require all PC players to link their Steam account to a PlayStation Network account.

Anyone who plays Helldivers 2 for the first time after May 6 will have to link a PlayStation Network account to Steam. Those who already own the game will also be required to do so by June 4 or they will no longer be able to access the game.

Read more