Overwatch 2 Release Time: Here’s When Servers Go Live

Overwatch 2 finally comes out today, October 4. After several false starts and delays, the servers go live today at 3 PM ET / 12 PM PT, and you can pre-load it now on every platform.

Arguably one of the most anticipated games of the year, the sequel to Overwatch was first announced back in BlizzCon 2019. However, despite its lengthy development cycle–longer than many thought it would be–the game that launches today isn’t quite the full experience, as it only includes its revamped 5v5 PvP modes.

It is, however, free-to-play, and it does not include the (in)famous lootbox model of its predecessor. Also, you’ll need to link a phone number to your Battle.net account in order to play it, so make sure to get that taken care of sooner than later.

While that’s certainly the core of the Overwatch experience, many fans have been looking forward to the sequel’s promised PvE game modes. This Early Access release doesn’t include those yet, so keep an eye out for them at a later date.

Of course, the pending release of Overwatch 2 comes at a great cost, as the Overwatch 1 servers were shut down on October 2 to prepare for the sequel’s launch. Regardless of how you personally feel about the original Overwatch, there’s no denying that it’s one of the most important multiplayer games of the 2010s, and it’s quite sad that you can’t play it in its original 6v6 form anymore.

In our Overwatch 2 review-in-progress, critic Jessica Howard mostly enjoyed her early hours with the game, though she questioned if it’s a true successor to the iconic original. “Where it counts, Overwatch 2 feels like a fantastic update to a multiplayer game with mechanics that enable thrilling skirmishes between teams of heroes,” she wrote. “However, as a separate entity and sequel, it stumbles.”