Skip to main content

‘Overwatch’ launches ‘Uprising’ co-op mode

Overwatch's Uprising co-op mode runs April 11 - May 1

Overwatch is getting a new co-op game mode as part of its next big event, a leaked trailer revealed Monday, which Blizzard then confirmed on Tuesday for its launch. The trailer, originally posted on YouTube by the official PlayStation France account, has since been taken down, but Polygon published the details. The name of the mode has been translated from French as “Insurrection,” although as Polygon commenter Josh Harmon pointed out the English language name will likely be “Uprising,” to match the most recent official Overwatch comic. According to the trailer, the event will run from April 11 to May 1.

It looks like Overwatch‘s Uprising mode will take place on a version of the existing “King’s Row” map set during the daytime. In the trailer, players battled hordes of robotic enemies — hence comparisons with “horde modes” like that found in the Gears of War series — while they “relive one of the key moments in the history of Overwatch,” according to a translation of the video’s description. Blizzard’s formal announcement confirmed that the mission takes place during Tracer’s first mission as a new recruit for the organization.

Recommended Videos

The trailer only showed the characters Tracer, Reinhardt, Mercy, and Torbjorn. Although it’s not confirmed whether they’ll be the only playable characters in Uprising, that seems likely. Last year’s Halloween event, Junkenstein’s Revenge, featured only four playable characters (Ana, McCree, Hanzo, and Soldier: 76), and the four seen in today’s leaked trailer were all members of the Overwatch team, which seems like it would make sense given that this mode is meant to recreate a “key moment in the history” of the game’s world.

That said, the Uprising/Insurrection event will reportedly also feature new skins for McCree, Genji, Widowmaker, Mercy, Torbjorn, Bastion, and Orisa, plus dozens of new skins, sprays, emotes, and poses.

Overwatch has a vivid and expansive backstory, although that’s not particularly evident simply from playing the game. Blizzard has fleshed the game’s universe out through short animated films and comics, including the one that revealed that Tracer is gay. The average Overwatch player mostly experiences an online shooter with little to no context, though, so it’s nice to see Blizzard possibly incorporating more of the story into the actual game.

Michael Rougeau
Former Contributor
Mike Rougeau is a journalist and writer who lives in Los Angeles with his girlfriend and two dogs. He specializes in video…
Overwatch 2 is now on Xbox Game Pass, and it comes with perks
Overwatch 2 skins: Cardboard Reinhardt, Turtleship D.Va, Cyberdragon Hanzo, Street Runner Genji, Bee Mercy, and Cleric Lifeweaver

Blizzard Entertainment surprise dropped Overwatch 2 on Xbox Game Pass on Tuesday, despite the game being free to play and already on Xbox.

You might find this to be a strange addition, but as a Blizzard blog post specifies, this is more about encouraging players to link their Battle.net and Xbox accounts. As a reward, players that do so will receive six exclusive skins: Cardboard Reinhardt, Turtleship D.Va, Cyberdragon Hanzo, Street Runner Genji, Bee Mercy, and Cleric Lifeweaver. (The image of a Reinhardt in a cardboard suit is delightful.) Players will also get 30 Mythic Prisms that they can use in the Mythic Shop for other skins.

Read more
Don’t skip Call of Duty: Black Ops 6’s great new mode during its beta
A player holds a dead player as a body shield in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6.

The beta for Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 begins tomorrow, and it features eight different modes for players to check out. While I'm guessing most will want to play iconic modes like Team Deathmatch (TDM) or Domination, I recommend you give Kill Order a shot.

Kill Order is a mode new in Black Ops 6 that finds a way to twist the core TDM formula to make it less chaotic. I spoke to developers at Treyarch about its creation and learned that Kill Order works as well as it does because it was built around the aspects of Call of Duty that players like best.
A high-value mode
At its core, Kill Order is TDM with a twist. The basics will be familiar as two teams of six compete to get the most kills, earn points, and win a match. To help focus the action, one player on each team is named the "High Value Target." This "HVT," as the game and developers call it, is powered up with extra armor, directional indicators for other players on the minimap, and the ability to earn more score with each enemy kill. They're not a juggernaut or anything, but in a one-on-one between an HVT and an enemy player, the HVT is more likely to win.

Read more
The best co-op games on PS5
Cody and May shooting in It Takes Two.

Games have always been meant to be played with other people. Sure, the PlayStation 5 has some of the best single-player games out there, and those are some of the best games of all time, but there's something different about experiencing a game with one or more real people either sitting next to you or across the world via an online experience. Most of the time, the best multiplayer games for PS5 focus on competition, but many of us would rather team up with our friends than fight against them. Thankfully, games that offer full-on co-op experiences are better than ever on the PS5.

Right from the console's launch, the PS5 has offered ways for friends, family, and everyone who enjoys games to come together and experience them thanks to most of them being cross-platform games. There are amazing co-op experiences to be found in just about every genre out there, meaning you are sure to find at least one that fits your specific tastes. To help you in your search for the best co-op games for you and your partner to try out, here are the best ones we could find on the PS5.

Read more