As one of the first in a wave of popular hero shooters, Overwatch made a big splash when it was released in 2016. It enjoyed universal acclaim when it was first launched and has since fostered a vibrant community of fans with a reputation as one of the friendlier online shooters. Although it's had to compete with newer multiplayer releases that may have stolen some of its thunder, the 2019 announcement of Overwatch 2 sparked a lot of excitement in the gaming world. The standalone sequel has been highly anticipated by fans since it was first confirmed, and Overwatch 2 will bring some fairly significant overhauls to gameplay.
Players have been waiting patiently to get their hands on the game, and now Overwatch 2's first closed beta is finally within reach. In the latest developer update from Overwatch 2 boss Aaron Keller, the date for the beta was confirmed for late April, with the sign-up open now for players to join. As gamers look forward to testing the title ahead of launch, there are a few key things they should know before they get sucked in.
All The Important Details About Overwatch 2's First Beta
Although Overwatch 2's closed beta is not starting until April, the alpha test is already live but is reserved for Blizzard employees, professional Overwatch players, and other select groups. Thankfully, the majority of players won't have that long to wait to join in, as they are now able to sign up for a series of closed beta tests, starting with the one in April. As well as a chance to see what the game plays like, fans will get hands-on with a "massive amount of incoming content prior to launch." Access will come in waves, though, so fans shouldn't be discouraged if they don't get into the beta straight away, as this doesn't mean they won't be able to experience the game before its official release.
Overwatch 2 game director Aaron Keller did acknowledge that updates for the game have been few and far between, and the lack of communication has led to some frustrations among the game's fanbase. From controversies and high-profile staff turnovers to an acquisition by Microsoft, Blizzard has had a tumultuous time of late. Keller promised to rebuild the trust of the community, and provide “more continual updates on all things Overwatch 2” now that the alpha test is underway and the beta is set to follow soon.
One way that Blizzard will be able to get more Overwatch into the hands of players is by decoupling the PvP and PvE elements of Overwatch 2. Although PvE was one of the main focuses of the Overwatch 2 experience, the developer is keen to get the game to players sooner, and temporarily separating these aspects while it continues to work on PvE is apparently the only way to do this. Although fans will be disappointed not to see any PvE elements in either the alpha or beta tests, some Overwatch is surely better than none.
The Biggest Changes Being Made in Overwatch 2
In addition to including PvE as well as PvP, Overwatch 2 will bring a lot of changes to the formula. In the closed beta, players will be able to see the new five-person team limit in action, with only one Tank allowed per team instead of the previous cap of two. There will also be a new playable Damage hero called Sojourn, who is the series' 33rd character and first Black female hero. Although this seems like a positive step, it is a long time coming for a game that celebrates its diversity, especially considering that the roster of Heroes featured a primate scientist and four sentient robots before it had a playable Black woman.
Another change for the Overwatch 2 beta is the integration of the PvP mode across the first Overwatch and the sequel, meaning players of both games will be able to experience the new heroes and new maps at the same time to make a more equitable gameplay experience. There will be four new maps available in the Overwatch 2 beta – Circuit Royal (Escort Map), Midtown (Hybrid Map), New Queen Street (Push Map), and Colosseum (Push Map). Along with these new locations, the Push mode will be added, which sees players attempting to control a high-spirited robot and encourage it to push their block across the map before the enemy team can achieve the same.
Several Heroes will also experience a rework, with Orisa, Doomfist, Bastion, and Sombra getting an overhaul to help balance out their gameplay and hopefully improve the way they handle. While it's too soon to tell if all these changes will be for the better, fans will soon be able to test them out for themselves.
Overwatch 2 is in development for PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.
