The free trial of sorts begins today, November 18. The event officially kicks off at 11 AM PT / 2 PM ET, and will end on Monday, November 21 at 4 PM PT / 7 PM ET. Blizzard was kind enough to provide a helpful map (seen further below) to help participants plan according to their region, but a full detailed list can be found on the game’s official blog.
For the free weekend, Overwatch will allow access to the full roster of 23 heroes – including the newest hero Sombra – and 13 maps. Additionally, there will be an assortment of game modes, including Quick Play, Custom Games, and the latest Weekly Brawl. Players can level up as they please, while earning Loot Boxes along the way. Those who enjoy dipping their toes in the water can keep any progress made during the weekend if they choose to purchase a copy of Overwatch. However, trophies and achievements are disabled during the event. The PlayStation 4 version of Overwatch will be available for $34.99 at GameStop during Black Friday, so it might be worth picking up after the event is over if players feel so inclined.
Anyone wanting to participate in the Overwatch free play weekend can simply follow the instructions below to begin duking it out online with an assortment of quirky heroes.
Overwatch Free Weekend Installation and Play Instructions
PC
Download and install Battle. net desktop app, if you haven’t already, and launch it. Create a FREE Battle. net account, or log in with an existing account. Click “Overwatch” icon, located on the left-hand side of the Battle. net desktop app. Select your region from the drop-down menu, then click “Install” to begin the installation process. Once installed, click “Play” to begin.
PS4
Turn on your PlayStation 4 and log in to your preferred local user. Go to PlayStation Store and select “Search” from the top menu. In the search field, type in “Overwatch. " Select “Overwatch Free Weekend” from the search results and then click “Download. " Once the download and installation process is complete, click “Start” to begin.
Xbox One
Turn on your Xbox One and log in to your Xbox Live account. Go to the Xbox One Store, then select “Search. " In the search field, type in “Overwatch. " Select “Overwatch: Origins Edition” from the search results and then click “Free Trial. " Once the download and installation process is compete, click “Launch” to begin.
There are some tiny catches, however. The download size for the game’s client is sitting at around 12 GB. Not to mention, Xbox Live Gold and PlayStation Plus memberships are required to play on consoles.
Overwatch is ever-changing and evolving, with new characters, maps, and deliriously fun seasonal events popping up all the time. Even the original standard characters are receiving tweaks, so someone who has played in the past may return to find a very different experience. Recently, Blizzard announced Overwatch to be the company’s fastest title to hit 20 million players – an impressive feat – so newcomers will have plenty of people to team up with.
Overwatch is available now for PS4, Xbox One, and PC.
Source: PlayOverwatch (via GameSpot)
title: “Overwatch Free Weekend Begins Today” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-14” author: “David Jones”
The free-to-play weekend will be available to most regions, including the Americas, Europe, and Asia (minus Korea). In order to access the event, players simply need to register for a Blizzard account via the Overwatch free weekend client, which also went live today, and download the game. From there, players will have to access the full roster of heroes, including Overwatch‘s new hero, Wrecking Ball, as well as all 18 maps in the game. In addition to that, all game modes such as Quick Play, Arcade, and Custom Games will also be available to try out this weekend.
Achievements are disabled for the free-to-play weekend, unfortunately, but players will still have the ability to level up and earn loot boxes. First-time Overwatch players will also be happy to know that the progress they make during this free-to-play weekend will be saved, should they decide to buy the game later after trying it out.
With additional changes recently made to characters such as Symmetra, who can now launch her turrets, and Hanzo, who can now air-dash and shoot a string of back-to-back arrows, the game is more fun than ever. It is therefore a great time for fans that have not played Overwatch in a while, and for new players, to join the game and to be able to experience why the game now boasts over 40 million active subscribers.
Overwatch is out now for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
