Is Overwatch 1 Shutting Down?

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Is Overwatch 1 Shutting Down?

Abhimannu Das
Updated On: 
Highlights
Overwatch 1 is shutting down once Overwatch 2 goes live later this year.
All progression will be carried over from the first game to Overwatch 2 and existing players will receive all owned items automatically.
Players will also need to register with a mobile number to play Overwatch 2 from 4th October.

Overwatch 1 is shutting down and it will be replaced by Overwatch 2 later this year. The game is expected to shut down in October and all players will automatically be migrated to Overwatch 2 and your progression will carry over. If you want to play Overwatch 2, you will need to have a registered mobile number as Blizzard is trying to crack down on smurfs and cheaters. Unlike Overwatch 1, Overwatch 2 will be free-to-play and you do not need to make any purchases to access the game.

Why Overwatch 1 is shutting down

Overwatch 2 will release on 4th October and only the player-versus-player modes will be available. The co-op content will be available next year but there is no release date yet. Blizzard is currently offering a Watchpoint Pack that offers cosmetics, early beta access and more.

Only the PVP component of Overwatch 2 will be available in October and fans will have to wait a little longer to access all of the co-op story content. There is no release date for the PVE (player versus environment) content just yet.

Junker Queen was revealed as the game’s next character. She is the ruler of Junkertown, which is a playable location in Overwatch. We know that Junkrat, Roadhog and Hammond have connections with Junkertown and we will finally get to see its ruler. She is currently in the beta which went live on 28th June.

All progress will carry over from Overwatch 1 to Overwatch 2 and any cosmetics or golden weapons you have earned will be available in the sequel. All existing Overwatch 1 players will automatically have their copy of the game upgraded to Overwatch 2 once the sequel launches.

A lot of players were concerned about the unopened loot boxes that they own. Overwatch 2 is doing away with loot boxes and players will automatically have their boxes opened and have all drops added to their account in case any loot boxes stay unopened. Saving loot boxes in Overwatch 1 will not earn you Overwatch 2 loot boxes. All sprays, highlight intros, skins, golden weapons and other items will carry over to the new game automatically.


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Abhimannu is a PC esports writer at AFK Gaming. With over seven years of experience in esports journalism, he has worked on a myriad of games and their ecosystems including Valorant, Overwatch and Apex Legends.

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