While it is possible to solo queue for matches in Overwatch 2, some players will undoubtedly prefer to go into battle with their friends. Fortunately, it is not very difficult to team up with friends in Blizzard's hero shooter, though fans may encounter some issues as they attempt to do so. This guide is here to provide workarounds to these issues and offer general details on how to play Overwatch 2 with friends.
Overwatch 2: How to Play With Friends
The first step toward playing with a friend is to add them to the friends list. To do this, Overwatch 2 players should click on Social on the home screen and then direct their attention to the bottom-left corner. In this position, fans will see "Add a Friend," and they should press the associated input, enter their friend's email address or BattleTag into the box that appears, and confirm the request. The friend should then head to their Social menu, navigate to the Invitations tab, and accept the request.
To note, there are two issues that players are reportedly encountering during the friend request process. The first of those issues is that the invitation simply does not appear, and both the requestor and the requested are advised to restart their games in that situation. The other issue is that Overwatch 2 players may receive indication that their friend is on a different version of the game, and here is how to resolve it:
- Look to the bottom-left corner of the screen and press the indicated input to open Chat.
- Enter "/invite friend's BattleTag" without quotes into the Chat box.
Once a player has been successful in adding a friend to their friends list, regardless of the method that is ultimately used, they should navigate to that list within the Social menu. Fans of first-person shooters should then click on the plus sign next to their friend's BattleTag to issue a group invite, which the friend should accept. This action will cause the group to be formed, and players should see it within the Groups section of the social menu.
With a group established, friends will finally be free to join an Overwatch 2 match together. There is one caveat to this, though: every party member must have completed the Competitive Play Challenge before a group can join the Competitive queue. For full clarity, that challenge requires fans to win 50 Quickplay matches, and it prevents brand-new players from immediately jumping into the Competitive game modes.
Overwatch 2 is free-to-play for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
