Is Overwatch 2 free-to-play?

Andrew Highton
overwatch 2 characters running towards screen

Overwatch 2 fans and newcomers have been asking the question of whether or not Overwatch 2 is ‘free-to-play’, we have that answer, and we’re going to explain it all to you today.

The impact that Overwatch, and now its successor Overwatch 2, has had on the gaming scene has been unquestionable with years of lore, cosplay, and fan-made content out in the world to commemorate its success and popularity.

Overwatch 2 takes everything that made the OG shooter so utterly enthralling and gripping and reinvents it for the PS5, Xbox Series X, and all platforms it’s available on.

With that being said, many big games are currently free-to-play such as Warzone 2, Apex Legends, and Fortnite. Which has left many gamers wondering: “Is Overwatch 2 free-to-play?”

Is Overwatch 2 free-to-play on PS5, Xbox Series & PC

Anyone keen on Overwatch 2 will be thrilled to know that Blizzard made Overwatch 2 completely free-to-play on release, meaning that you can play it right now without having to pay a single penny to enjoy the full version of the game.

Those well-versed in the universe of live service games will already know that this possibility is due to the microtransactions that will inevitably fund the game throughout its lifecycle.

sojourn looking at camera in overwatch 2

Battles Passes, cosmetic purchases, and a lot more all provide the backbone of the game’s development economy, allowing the developers to expand the game with new maps, new game modes, and even more new characters!

The game enjoyed a very successful beta period and millions of players are populating the Overwatch 2 servers now, and will likely continue to do over the next few years, especially with it being free, until Blizzard potentially commissions another follow-up.

The notion of Overwatch 2 being free-to-play is just one of many questions that have been posed by players, along with queries about the game’s cross-platform status.

With other popular shooters out there in the free-to-play market, Blizzard Entertainment will be hoping that the free-to-play element of Overwatch 2 will make it competitive for many years to come.


With the nature of the game’s free-to-play cleared up, we have a ton of other Overwatch 2 guides for you to take a look at:

Are Overwatch 2 servers down? Overwatch server status | Best Overwatch 2 PC settings: How to boost FPS & optimize graphics | Does Overwatch 2 have cross-progression crossplay? Is Overwatch 2 crossplay? | How to transfer Overwatch skins to Overwatch 2: Account merging guide | Is Overwatch 2 free-to-play? | How to play Overwatch 2 on Steam Deck | How to get Golden Guns in Overwatch 2 | How to fix Overwatch 2 different version error | Best Overwatch 2 Heroes

Image Credit: Blizzard Entertainment

About The Author

A content creator for Charlie INTEL / Dexerto that earned a degree, wrote for PlusXP, Twinfinite, and Keengamer, before finally securing his dream job of being a professional video game writer. When not writing about games, he's very busy playing every game in existence and adding to his 11,000+ PlayStation Trophies and 150+ Platinums. You can contact him at [email protected].