Having announced a street date of May 24th, Blizzard has now revealed an Open Beta coming in early May!
The Overwatch Open Beta will descend upon us on the PC, PS4 and Xbox One, and as an added bonus for pre-purchasing Overwatch for any platform at www.buyoverwatch.com, players will get early access to the Open Beta for themselves and a friend from May 3rd to 4th.
After that, everybody would have the chance to play for free during an all-access Open Beta period from the 5th to the 9th.
Players on all 3 platforms will be able to “experience the intense action of Overwatch for themselves, including all of our launch-day heroes and maps,” according to Blizzard’s blog post.
Here are the details on how to gain access to the Open Beta (thanks to Blizzard!)
To get a two-day head start in the Open Beta for you and a friend on May 3–4, simply pre-purchase or preorder any edition of Overwatch by April 29 through one of the methods below.
BATTLE.NET SHOP:
Pre-purchase the digital version of Overwatch or Overwatch: Origins Edition for PC via the Battle.net Shop. We’ll send two early-access keys (PC) to your Battle.net email address—one for you and one for a friend—before the Open Beta begins.
If you’ve already pre-purchased digitally through Battle.net, you’re good to go. We’ll send you two keys before the Open Beta early-access period gets started.
RETAIL STORES:
Pre-purchase or preorder any version of Overwatch at a participating retailer, and your retailer will give you two Open Beta early-access keys for your specific platform before the early access period begins—one key for you, and one for a friend. Distribution varies by retailer, so check with them for additional details.
To find a participating retailer in North America, visit www.buyoverwatch.com. If you don’t see your favorite store listed, check with them to find out if they’re taking part in this promo.
If you previously pre-ordered or pre-purchased Overwatch at a participating retailer, contact your store to find out how to receive your early-access keys.
PLAYSTATION STORE & XBOX STORE – COMING SOON:
Preorder the PS4 version or pre-purchase the Xbox One version of Overwatch: Origins Edition digitally through the PlayStation Store or Xbox Store (once available), and you’ll automatically be flagged for early access to the Open Beta on your console.
Before the Open Beta early-access period begins, you’ll also receive one additional early-access key (valid only for the same platform).
And don’t forget: In addition to receiving early access to the Open Beta, when you pre-purchase or preorder any version of Overwatch, you’ll also get the Noire Widowmaker skin at launch! Visit www.buyoverwatch.com for more details.
Are you excited for the team shooter of tomorrow? I know I am! May 24th cannot come soon enough!