From now until early January 2022, all players can experience Overwatch as a free-to-play game on PC, PlayStation, and Xbox platforms.
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During the holidays, Blizzard Entertainment is hosting Overwatch as a free-to-play experience on consoles and PC. A similar free trial for Overwatch went live last holiday season as well, allowing newcomers to jump in at no cost for a limited period of time. Last December’s free-to-play offering also launched alongside discounts that significantly reduced the price of the ever-popular online shooter.
A hero-based multiplayer shooter, Overwatch originally launched in May 2016; it quickly took the world by storm, too, thanks to its stunning art style and action-packed gameplay. Interestingly, many associate Overwatch with the rise of the modern loot box craze, though Blizzard’s hero shooter managed to avoid becoming embroiled in most of the microtransaction-related controversy. It seemingly accomplished as much by sticking to cosmetic items and steering clear of loot box rewards that affect gameplay. Those curious about why Overwatch is held in such high regard, now have the option to find out as much for themselves.
GameSpot reports that Overwatch’s latest free trial will run throughout the rest of this holiday season. As such, PC, PlayStation, and Xbox players can enjoy the title as a free-to-play experience until Sunday, January 2. Similar to free trials of the past, newcomers will be able to access every facet of the multiplayer shooter, including each in-game mode, all 32 hero characters, and the 28 available maps. The limited-time freebie further allows first-time Overwatch users to tinker with progression and customization. Plus, the annual Winter Wonderland event, which concludes on Thursday, January 6, boasts a variety of unique skins and game modes that fans and newcomers alike will want to take advantage of while the festivities last.
Now seems as good of a time as any to join the Overwatch community, especially since the wait for Overwatch 2 will persist for a while longer. Blizzard unveiled the sequel during BlizzCon 2019, wherein a lengthy “Zero Hour” cinematic captivated many a fan. Not much has surfaced about the project in the two-plus years since then, however.
Despite the dearth of news, Blizzard did issue one noteworthy announcement several weeks ago – Overwatch 2 has been delayed. The delay news made no mention of a new release window, though some believe the shooter is no longer on track for its previously reported 2022 launch. It’s possible, then, that Overwatch 2 will remain in production until sometime in 2023.
Overwatch is playable across Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, and Xbox One hardware.
Source: GameSpot
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