Microsoft buyout means Overwatch 2 will now be free to play from October 4

After six years being a paid game, hero-shooter Overwatch 2 is going free to play on October 4. This is the first major announcement from the Blizzard half of the Activision-Blizzard studio since the Microsoft buyout was announced.

Overwatch 2. Picture: Blizzard Entertainment

Activision Blizzard’s Overwatch, the team-based hero shooter that took the world by storm on launch in 2016, is going free-to-play when the sequel comes out. It’s been a turbulent six years for the game since release, creating one of the largest fandoms in gaming but failing to successfully serve them content. With the upcoming Microsoft purchase of the company, the move to free to play was announced at today’s Microsoft and Bethesda conference.

Two big notables - Overwatch 2 is now a free to play game, and Junker Queen is on her way. Announced as a character many years ago as part of the game’s ongoing storyline, Junker Queen has always been rumoured to be on her way, but there were many others in a similar situation.

With Overwatch’s large amount of cosmetics, plus the huge number of sales already acquired over the years, this change is unlikely to hit the profitability of the game. The community would be rightfully furious if maps or heroes became a microtransaction, but that seems unlikely.

Written by GLHF.