Overwatch servers shut down – When does Overwatch 2 go live?

Overwatch, one of Activision-Blizzard's most popular live-service properties, is entering a brand new phase in its life cycle tomorrow. The original Overwatch servers shut down a few hours ago, and we're ready for the next chapter. Overwatch 2 will release across all platforms on October 4th. An all-new iteration of the popular hero-shooter, Overwatch 2 will inject the franchise with a fresh lease of life.

Players can also pre-load the game now so that they can hop right into the action as soon as the game releases. The developers have provided the official pre-load and release times through Twitter.

Players can log into the game and start playing Overwatch 2 on October 4th or October 5th, depending on their region. The game will be available to play across timezones at the following times:

Overwatch 2 is available to pre-load across time zones. The download sizes are around 50 GB on PC and 30 GB on consoles. The system requirements to run Overwatch 2 on PC are as follows:

Overwatch 2 serves as more of a relaunch of Overwatch than as an outright sequel. Players can expect a plethora of new content in a better-planned infrastructure. Overwatch 2 will follow a seasonal battle pass system for content updates. Additionally, players can expect new PvP maps and characters. They've also revealed a new system to combat cheaters and disruptive players.

Since Overwatch 2 is replacing Overwatch in its entirety, there won't be any point in logging in to Overwatch, whose servers were shut down earlier today. Players who had all characters unlocked in Overwatch 1 will gain access to the full roster in Overwatch 2. New players will have to grind through in-game levels to unlock the full roster. For PC players, the developers have revealed in a blog post that their skins are going to carry over into Overwatch 2. Console players will have to follow a process to transfer their skins into Overwatch 2.