’s team shooter, Overwatch 2 starts its beta today with access being granted in a few different ways.
The sequel to 2016’s mega-hit, Overwatch 2 is entering its first closed beta, offering 5 vs. 5 matchups with other players, as well as a new Push mode.
Blizzard isn’t opening the floodgates just yet, only allowing those who have opted in (on a lottery basis) or those willing to watch streams for a chance at a ‘drop’ during the day.
The beta is running from April 26 until May 17 and will be exclusive to PC. A copy of Overwatch 1 will be required to play.
What’s in the Overwatch 2 beta?
The beta seems to be smaller in scope than the sort of thing you’d expect from an open beta. Mainly focusing on the competitive aspect – there is an announced coming too – Overwatch 2’s beta will feature a 5 vs. 5 mode and its new Push mode.
Push mode involves taking control of a robot and, as a team, ensuring that it pushes a payload into the enemy’s area.
Blizzard is also hard at work on making changes to the various heroes in the game. The beta will include updated versions of Orisa, Doomfist, Bastion, and Sombra.
These character changes have been detailed in the past, in developer diary videos, and appear to be addressing complaints from the prior game or, in some cases, reinventing the wheel entirely to keep the new game fresh.
The beta will include all Overwatch 1 maps, as well as four new ones: Circuit Royal, Midtown, Toronto, and Rome. The latter two are only for Push mode.
A ping system is also being included, allowing players to point out threats on the field.
Also launching is Sojourn, a new character for Overwatch 2. She’s someone you’ll want to keep a mid-range, with a fast firing railgun and rocket boosted slide to keep you out of danger.
How to get into the Overwatch 2 beta
To get into the beta, you’ll need to either on the Overwatch 2 website or watch selected Twitch streams who have , which will reward you for your time with the chance for a code.
Riot Games, developers of League Of Legends, did this for their competitive shooter Valorant, which saw the game’s popularity explode even before it launched.
While the beta is running from April 26 to May 17, opting in or watching Twitch will not guarantee you a spot. However, Blizzard are inviting in more players as the days go on, depending on their needs.
Which Twitch streams have Overwatch 2 drops?
Blizzard has provided they’ve partnered with. Overwatch 2 drops begin on 27 April at 6pm BST and will run until 28 April at 2am BST.
Streamers with drops enabled include xQc, one of the and an ex-professional Overwatch player.
Also streaming with drops enabled is Pokimane, known for her League Of Legends and Valorant streams. Pokimane gained a lot of attention when Riot Games used the Twitch drops during the Valorant beta, with Blizzard partnering with her here.
Blizzard has also included dedicated Overwatch streamers like Sleepy, who regularly streams Overwatch 1 to 575K followers.
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