The second Overwatch 2 beta will be playable in the coming weeks for those on consoles and PC.
A multiplayer trial of the long-awaited sequel will be guaranteed for those who pay for it, but you can also get possible access for free if you sign up for the Overwatch 2 beta in time.
This page explains the Overwatch 2 beta release date in the UK and other regions, the exact value release timewhen the beta ends and how to get Overwatch 2 Beta Registration Access.
On this page:
Overwatch 2 Beta UK Release Time / BST, CEST, EDT, and PDT
If you have successfully accessed the Overwatch 2 beta on consoles and PC, and are selected to participate in the first wave, you can start playing on Tuesday, June 28.
The Overwatch 2 beta release time is:
- UK: 7pm (BST)
- Europe: 8 p.m. (EST)
- United States West Coast: 11:00 a.m. (PDT)
- US East Coast: 2 p.m. (EDT)
If you weren’t selected for the first wave of the beta, keep checking the email associated with your battle.net ID to see if you were selected for another wave of players.
Developer Blizzard has stated on its website that its goal is to give access to all players who sign up for the beta on or before July 14.
Alternatively, if you buy the Watchpoint bundle on PC or console, you’re guaranteed access to the Overwatch 2 beta immediately after it launches Tuesday in your region.
Overwatch 2 beta registration access explained
Anyone with access to the Overwatch 2 beta will be able to play on the platform and region of their choice with the battle.net account they signed up with.
It’s important to note that even if you participated in the first beta, players this time around are selected from a separate beta pool, so you will need to re-register to participate in this second beta of Overwatch 2 on consoles and PC.
There are two ways to access the Overwatch 2 beta:
- Purchase the Overwatch Watchpoint Bundle for Guaranteed Beta Access
- Sign up for possible beta access before June 28
Sign up for beta access
You must visit playoverwatch.com/beta and register before June 28 to have a chance to be selected for free access to the Overwatch 2 beta. Registrations may even stop before this date if the maximum capacity of the server planned by the developer Blizzard has been reached.
Select your platform and region from the drop-down list, then log in to your battle.net account to begin the registration process for this Overwatch beta. Playstation players should select the region associated with their PSN ID, not the region they currently live in.
When the beta begins, a small group of registrants will be emailed to participate first, then more players will be added steadily over time, with the first wave of wider access is expected to begin a week later on Tuesday, July 5.
Although you are not guaranteed access to the beta if you sign up for free, Blizzard has stated on its website that its goal is to give access to all players who sign up for the beta on or before July 14.
Buy the Overwatch Watchpoint Bundle
To ensure access to the Overwatch 2 beta at all times – even after it’s started – you can purchase the Overwatch Watchpoint Bundle for £34.99 / $39.99 on whatever platform you plan to play Overwatch on 2.
You don’t just get access to the Overwatch 2 beta by purchasing the Watchpoint Bundle. You will also receive:
- Overwatch Legendary Edition (with x5 legendary skins and x5 epic skins)
- Premium Battle Pass for Overwatch 2 Season 1
- Legendary Space Raider Soldier 76 and Space Raider Cassidy skins for Overwatch 2
- 2000 Overwatch 2 virtual currency
- Exclusive player icon for Overwatch 2
All Overwatch 2 rewards will be added to your account when the game launches in October.
Overwatch 2 Beta Dates
The Overwatch 2 beta on consoles and PC will run from June 28 to July 18. Blizzard added that the end date can be extended based on their testing needs to the scheduled end date.
Although a steady stream of players are being added to the beta after the first wave on June 28, more people will have access to the beta on Tuesday, July 5.
If you didn’t manage to sign up for the Overwatch beta before it launched, remember that you can still access it by purchasing the Watchpoint Bundle on the platform you plan to play the game on. It’s a pricey fix, but you get other perks besides beta access, including the Premium Season 1 Battle Pass for Overwatch 2 when it launches.
What’s in the Overwatch 2 beta?
The Overwatch 2 console and PC beta will include the following:
- Crossplay between consoles and PC
- Matches 5 vs 5
- Two New Overwatch 2 Heroes – Junker Queen and Sojourn
- The hero reworks for Orisa, Doomfist, Bastion and Sombra
- New hero look
- Two new hybrid maps – Paraiso and Midtown
- A new escort map – Circuit Royal
- Two maps for the new Push mode – New Queen Street and Colosseo
- New ping system
In our preview of Overwatch 2 earlier this year, our hands-on revealed a game that felt “refreshing if not remarkably new” – though between the reduced squad sizes and reworked heroes the differences might seem “transformational”.
Finally, be aware that any progress you make during the Overwatch 2 beta will unfortunately not carry over to the full game.
Table of Contents
