When does Overwatch 2 go live? Can you pre-load and play it early?

Overwatch 2It’s almost here but it’s still a bit unclear what exactly that means. The game has an official release date of Oct. 4, but it’s full of so many changes from the previous game that players might still have a whole lot of questions about what the game is, when it’s out, or even how much it costs.

To help make all this a little clearer, we’ve answered a few of the most important Overwatch 2Questions you may have about the release process

When does Overwatch 2 come out?

Overwatch 2According to Blizzard, the worldwide launch will take place on October 4th at 3:00 p.m. ET/noon PDT.

Do you have the ability to download Overwatch 2 in advance?

Pre-downloads for PC users can be made from Battle.net starting Sept. 30, at 4:30 pm EDT/1:30 PM PDT. You can download the PC version for around 50 GB.

Pre-downloads for console players will be available starting Oct. 4, at 12 p.m. ET/9 a.m. PM PDT. The game is approximately 30GB in size.

Is Overwatch 2 free-to-play?

Yes. Yes, there will be a battle pass and Blizzard has a Watchpoint Pack for players to get some cosmetics.

What happens to the original Overwatch?

Yes, Overwatch It will go offline at 12:00 p.m. EDT/9:00 a.m. PDT Oct. 3 and won’t be back up. The sequel will instead be the best way to enter the Overwatch universe.

What exactly is SMS Protection?

Blizzard has added SMS Protection to its arsenal of tools that help you manage your spam. Overwatch 2The series will be free to play and is now open for cheaters, bots and banned players. As a two-factor authentication, players will need to connect their mobile phone numbers with their Blizzard accounts.

What if I want to start Overwatch 2 earlier?

Nope. There was a beta for the game, and an alpha, but both have passed now, so you’ll have to wait out the next few days. (Blizzard is calling Overwatch 2’s launch an “early access” release, but this seems to be a designation meant to highlight its in-development status, and the fact that the PvE single-player and cooperative side of the sequel is not ready for launch.)