Skip to main content

Blizzard will offer an 'Overwatch' free weekend starting on November 18

We know you guys aren’t playing the new Call of Duty at the moment, so if you fancy scratching that competitive shooter itch next weekend, you can try out Blizzard’s class-based first-person shooter (FPS), Overwatch, for free. This goes for everyone, whether you play on the Xbox One, PS4, or PC, and you get the whole game, too.

Typically, free weekends don’t go quite so whole hog, and instead offer you a slice of a game, or a demo-like feel, rather than giving you exactly what all those hard-shooting, paying customers get. But that’s not what’s happening with Overwatch. If you take Blizzard up on its offer next weekend, you’ll be able to select any character, any map and mode and you’ll be playing alongside the 20 million other gamers already enjoying it.

Recommended Videos

Even better, you’ll also be able to play with Loot Boxes, the crate system that lets you unlock character skins and new graffiti tags for spraying around the map.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

If you really like your time with Overwatch, you can obviously buy the game like everyone else when the free weekend is up, and your experience, unlocks, skins and anything else you manage to earn over the weekend will be maintained on your account. As a result, you need not fear “wasting” your time on a free weekend.

Please note that the free weekend doesn’t start this coming weekend, as some outlets are reporting, but next. It officially opens up at 11 a.m. PT on November 18 and runs until the same time on November 21. Times do differ a bit depending on where you are in the world.

You will need a Battle.net account and if you want to continue playing afterward and want to maintain your unlocks, you’ll want to remember your login details, but other than that, downloading and playing the game should be a simple process.

Jon Martindale
Jon Martindale is a freelance evergreen writer and occasional section coordinator, covering how to guides, best-of lists, and…
Overwatch 2’s packed Season 11 update brings new map, legendary skins
Mercy in her rose gold outfit. Her hair is strawberry blonde with pink tips and her outfit is different shades of pink.

Blizzard is celebrating 100 million players in Overwatch 2 by bringing back a fan-favorite skin, along with a new map and other changes for its 11th season that launches on June 20.

In an announcement Monday, the studio revealed that the theme of Season 11 will be Super Mega Ultrawatch, where players can unlock superhero-themed Legendary Ultrawatch skins and go up against the evil and magical Mythic Calamity Empress Ashe and B.O.B. These skins for Genji, Repaer, and Sojourn will be available in the Season 11 premium battle pass.

Read more
3 free video games you should play this weekend (May 10-12)
A titan wielding a grenade launcher in Destiny 2..

Whenever we recommend games at Digital Trends, we tend to go heavy on titles available on subscription services like Xbox Game Pass. Rather than telling our readers to buy new games, we always try to find ones that might be on services they're already paying for. Still, that doesn't cover every player. There are plenty of more casual gaming fans who aren't subscribed to any service that offers extra games. We don't want to leave them out, do we?

If you're in that category, or you're simply strapped for cash, we've got some recommendations for some free games you can try this weekend. I don't mean "free with a subscription" either. I'm talking about games that will cost you nothing to start, even if you decide you want to spend money on them later. From a mobile game I can't get enough of to a a popular MMO that just made all of its DLC free, these are three free games you can dive into this weekend.
Destiny 2

Read more
PlayStation Plus’ most notable free April offerings come from Microsoft
Four players stand together in the 4v4 PvP mode of Minecraft Legends.

Sony outlined all the new offerings PlayStation Plus Essential subscribers can expect in April; surprisingly, Microsoft is the company behind two of this month's four offerings, Minecraft Legends, and the Overwatch 2 Mega Bundle.

On April 2, PS Plus can get those two things free of charge in addition to Immortals of Aveum and Skul: The Hero Slayer. Immortals of Aveum is a single-player shooter where players use magic instead of weapons. Although the thing it's most notable for is flopping upon its release, Immortals of Aveum is still a solid shooter that you might have missed out on, and you should give it a shot now that you can get it through PS Plus. Meanwhile, Skul: The Hero Slayer is a tough 2D platformer roguelike that should entertain fans of that genre for quite some time.

Read more