After launching back in 2016, Blizzard Entertainment is today officially gearing up to shut down its popular multiplayer game Overwatch. This is a move that fans knew was coming about ahead of time as Blizzard previously revealed that the original title would be closing as a way to make room for Overwatch 2. And while the launch of the sequel won’t be taking place until later this week, fans are instead looking back on the original game as it nears its final hours.
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At midday on October 3rd, Blizzard will finally close the servers on Overwatch. This move is being done ahead of the release of Overwatch 2 so that Blizzard could prepare the new version of the game to arrive on Tuesday, October 4. Although this means that fans won’t be able to play Overwatch in any capacity for a short period of time, Blizzard has encouraged those on social media to share their favorite moments from the game’s history. Right on cue, numerous Overwatch players have been doing just that and have been showing off their own highlights as a way to bridge the gap until Overwatch 2 drops.
While it might seem odd that Blizzard is ending Overwatch considering that this is a game that many people previously paid money for, it’s worth stressing that Overwatch 2 is going to be free to play, which means Blizzard isn’t expecting fans to buy a new version of the title once again. Furthermore, those who bought Overwatch will get a handful of goodies when logging into Overwatch 2 for the first time. Not to mention, skins from the previous game will also be transferring to Overwatch 2 as well. Even though there might be some mechanical, systemic, and aesthetic changes in this follow-up, it’s essentially just going to be a new version of Overwatch that has been playable for years.
As mentioned, Overwatch 2 will be launching later this week on October 4th and will be considered “early access” for the time being. Much like the previous installment, the sequel will be playable on PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, and PC platforms.
Are you saddened to see that Overwatch has now reached the end of its life cycle? And will you be checking out Overwatch 2 when it launches in just a couple of short days? Let me know either down in the comments or reach out to me on Twitter at @MooreMan12.
Note: A previous version of this story stated that the Overwatch servers would shut down on October 2nd. This was a mistake, apologies for the date mixup.
