- It should begin sometime in late April
- The beta will focus only on the PvP elements of the game, as well as new maps and hero reworks
- The PvE side of it will be tested in the exclusive closed Alpha testing phase
After months of delays and much silence on part of Blizzard, the company announced that a closed beta for Overwatch 2 is finally coming.
The Beta Is Finally Coming
Blizzard fans have long been awaiting new Overwatch content, which in the past months seems to be very lacking. Sin fact, many influential streamers like Super, have expressed concerns that Blizzard is abandoning Overwatch. However, fans now have a reason to rejoice, as Blizzard recently announced it is finally releasing a closed beta for Overwatch 2.
Aaron Keller, Overwatch game director, said in a March 10 Developer Update that official testing of the sequel is now in process. The game’s alpha testing phase will begin soon, and Keller expects that a closed beta will start sometime in late April.
In order to get the game to the testing phase quicker, Blizzard will decouple its PvE and PvP elements. In the developer update, Keller said that the beta testing will revolve around the PvP components of the game, while the developers still work on Overwatch 2’s extensive PvE elements as the testing goes on.
The PvE side of things will instead be extensively tested in the closed alpha. This includes four new maps, the new Push game mode, five-vs-five gameplay. As well as this, it’s expected there will be many heroes reworks, so when the beta phase comes, players will have the opportunity to play with the likes of revamped Reinhardt, Bastion, and Sombra.
Overwatch 2’s Difficult Journey
The announcement comes as a big relief to many fans who didn’t really have much information about the game. Overwatch 2 was delayed not once during 2021, a huge reason for this being the many workplace sexual misconduct scandals Blizzard was involved in. Naturally, fans were growing more impatient with Blizzard’s silence on Overwatch 2.
Back in November, the company announced it will be delaying Overwatch 2 along with some other titles, acknowledging the turmoil that has plagued the company over the last year. Overwatch 2’s production was again hampered by the huge employee turnover that Blizzard suffered recently. Hopes are that the closed alpha, which will be available to select groups, including Blizzard employees and Overwatch League players, will get the project back on track.
Players interested in playing the more generally available beta can request access on PlayOverwatch.com. They will be granted access in phases, with Blizzard adding more and more players as they progress through the upcoming beta phases.
