Another chance to play ‘Overwatch’ for free arrives on September 22

By Garrett Hulfish Published September 14, 2017

Since its launch in May 2016, Overwatch has grown into Blizzard’s next-running success. It seems like more and more people are playing it each day, yet there is always room for more recruits. From September 22 to 25, Blizzard will host another Overwatch Free Weekend for prospective players on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.

Just like last year, Overwatch’s full roster of characters and maps will be available to play in a variety of modes including Quickly Play, Custom Games, and the Arcade. This time, there have been a few more characters and maps added bringing the totals to 25 heroes and 16 maps. Throughout the weekend, players will level up their characters, earn Loot Boxes, and unlock various customization options such as skins, sprays, and victory poses.

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In order to jump into the game, there are a few steps that vary by your platform of choice. On PC, players must download and install Blizzard’s Battle.net desktop app. If a player does not have an existing Blizzard account, they can create a new one for free. After all this, it is as simple as selecting Overwatch and clicking “Install.” On consoles, the process is a little simpler. The first step is to make sure there is an active PlayStation Plus or Xbox Live account. In the respective store, type “Overwatch” into the search field. On the PlayStation, users select Overwatch Free Weekend and hit “Download.” Xbox One owners instead select Overwatch: Origins Edition and click “Free Trial.”

Overwatch will be available for the free weekend in all regions for consoles. This is not the same for PC. For these users, it will only be available in Blizzard’s Americas, Europe, and Asia (excluding Korea) gameplay regions.

For anyone who has been worried about jumping into an Overwatch community full of toxicity and abuse, Blizzard is already addressing this growing issue. Future changes will hopefully lead to a more inclusive group.

The Overwatch Free Weekend begins September 22 at 11 a.m. PT and ends September 25 at 11:59 p.m. PT. Anyone who decides to purchase the game after the event will be able to keep any progress that was made. The only requirement is that they use the same Blizzard, PlayStation Network, or Xbox Live account.

Garrett Hulfish

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