Blizzard Confirms Overwatch 2 Closed Beta Release Date

We now have an official release date for the Overwatch 2 closed beta. Blizzard confirmed on Friday that the first closed beta for PVP aspect of the game will begin on April 26th.

The news comes after Blizzard announced earlier in the month that the closed beta would release in late April and would be part of the company’s decision to “decouple” the PVP portion of the game from the PVE modes in order to get the PVP content into the live game. The new season of the Overwatch League will be on the OW 2 beta, which will feature the game’s change from 6v6 to 5v5 as well as the new Push mode, new hero Sojourn, and the OW 2 reworks for Orisa, Doomfist (now moved from the damage role to tank), Sombra, and Bastion.

An FAQ on the Play Overwatch official site notes that beta participants will be picked based on a variety of factors, including their Battle.net region, when they signed up, computer hardware specifics, and more. Beta participants will be required to own a copy of the Overwatch 1 on PC.

#Overwatch2 PVP Beta is coming April 26.

✋ Beta Sign Up https://t.co/jC3gYjfdBc pic.twitter.com/FLVxCEtLZj

— Overwatch (@PlayOverwatch) March 18, 2022