Overwatch 2's first PvP beta kicks off in April, here's how to sign up

Blizzard says today's announcement is a "first step" toward increasing its communication with players and establishing a "consistent cadence of updates." As of now, Overwatch players haven't seen a new hero added to the game in two years, but if Blizzard keeps to its 2019 promise, Overwatch 2's new heroes, maps, and modes will also come to the original Overwatch at no additional cost.

It's unclear if this means overwatches 2 will actually release in 2022 in some form, but it does mean players will get to try out Overwatch. 2's revamped PVP this year. A closed alpha that includes Blizzard employees, Overwatch. League pros, and a few other select groups, starts today. Blizzard is also holding overwatch 2 PC beta in late April that you can sign up for right now on the official overwatch site.

This closed beta will include a larger group of testers who we will ask to provide gameplay feedback," reads an announcement blog post shared with PC Gamer. "Our goal for this phase is to test our new features, content, and systems before we shift to stress-testing the servers with a wider player base in future Beta tests

The April beta, which Blizzard refers to as "Overwatch 2 PVP Beta 1," will include a lot of new stuff for veteran players to test out, much of which we've only previously seen in showcase videos:

This announcement confirms that 5v5 is still the plan for Overwatch 2. This will likely prove to be the largest change coming to PVP, as removing one tank role from each team will drastically change the flow of Overwatch's group-focused combat. The "hero reworks" mentioned above will likely include previously announced tank changes that will make heroes like Reinhardt, Winston, and more aggressive brawlers.

Blizzard is splitting Overwatch 2's PVP from PVC to get it out sooner.

Thank You,

get the best content of the week, and great gaming deals, as picked by the editor.