'Overwatch 2' beta starts today - here's how to play

Today (April 26) marks the start of the Overwatch 2 public beta, and developer Blizzard Entertainment has provided prospective players with all the relevant information.

In a news post yesterday (April 25) Blizzard outlined what can expect, saying that “selected players” who’ve opted-in (which can be done here) for the beta will start receiving invites starting today at 7PM UK time (11AM PT). More invitations may be sent out further into the beta test, which ends on May 17.

All players who want to get in on the beta will need to have Overwatch installed on their PC, as this platform is the only one currently running the beta. if a player has received a beta invite but doesn’t own the first Overwatch, the game can be downloaded as a free trial during the beta period.

The post also mentions that access to the beta can be gained via Twitch drops, as those watching specific beta streams at certain times can get access, with the full list of featured streamers in the blog post.

More betas are also planned for Overwatch 2, although Blizzard is yet to specify when these will take place. However, the studio notes that console players will be included in future tests.

Blizzard also says players can “expect the game to evolve and refine significantly before launch,” which also means that any progress made during the beta will not be carried over to the full game when it releases.

Back in March Blizzard announced that the co-op and PvP modes in Overwatch 2 will be released separately, in an attempt to have the completed multiplayer experience out slightly earlier.

In other news, the BBC’s first ever Gaming Prom is set to take place this August and include music from Kingdom Hearts and Shadow Of The Colossus.