For more details and to learn how you can participate, read on below!
The Overwatch Free Weekend will run from November 18–21. PlayStation 4 owners with a PlayStation Plus membership, Xbox One owners with an Xbox Live Gold membership, and Windows PC users with a Battle.net account will be able to download and play Overwatch for FREE during this period—no special keys or sign-up codes needed!
The free period will begin on November 18 at 11 a.m. PT (18:00 UTC) and end on November 21 at 4:00 p.m. PT (23:00 UTC) in all gameplay regions. If you’d like to see when the weekend will go live in your region, check out the reference guides below.
| EUROPE: | THE AMERICAS: | ASIA: |
|---|---|---|
| 20:00 BST on Nov 18
20:00 CEST on Nov 18 20:00 MSK on Nov 18 |
11:00 a.m. PST on Nov 18
12:00 p.m. MST on Nov 18 1:00 p.m. CST on Nov 18 2:00 p.m. EST on Nov 18 3:00 p.m. AST on Nov 18 3:30 p.m. NST on Nov 18 5:00 p.m. BRST on Nov 18 3:00 a.m. SGT on Nov 19 6:00 a.m. AEDT on Nov 19 8:00 a.m. NZDT on Nov 19 |
3:00 a.m. CST on Nov 19
4:00 a.m. KST on Nov 19 4:00 a.m. JST on Nov 19 |
Before your watch can begin, you’ll first need to install Overwatch on your chosen platform. Every platform is a little different—to install and play on November 18, please follow the instructions below.
FOR WINDOWS PC:
Step 1: Download and install the Battle.net desktop app, if you haven’t already, and launch it.
Step 2: Create a FREE Battle.net account, or log in with an existing account.
Step 3: Click the „Overwatch“ icon, located on the left-hand side of the Battle.net desktop app.
Step 4: Select your region from the drop-down menu, then click „Install“ to begin the installation process.
Step 5: Once installed, click „Play“ to begin!
FOR PLAYSTATION 4:
Step 1: Turn on your PlayStation 4 and log in to your preferred local user.
Step 2: Go to PlayStation Store and select „Search“ from the top menu.
Step 3: In the search field, type in „Overwatch.“
Step 4: Select „Overwatch Free Weekend“ from the search results and then click „Download.“
Step 5: Once the download and installation process is complete, click „Start“ to begin!
FOR XBOX ONE:
Step 1: Turn on your Xbox One and log in to your Xbox Live account.
Step 2: Go to the Xbox One Store, then select „Search.“
Step 3: In the search field, type in „Overwatch.“
Step 4: Select „Overwatch: Origins Edition“ from the search results and then click „Free Trial.“
Step 5: Once the download and installation process is complete, click „Launch“ to begin!
The Overwatch Free Weekend client will be available for download on Windows PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One from November 18–21.
Q. What game content will be available during the Free Weekend?
A. During the Free Weekend, players will have access to Overwatch’s full roster of heroes, maps, and a selection of features—including Quick Play, Custom Games, Loot Boxes, and Weekly Brawls.
Q. How many heroes are available in Overwatch?
A. There are 22 heroes available to play in Overwatch! To learn more about these heroes, click here.
Q. How many maps are available in Overwatch?
A. There are four different game modes and 13 different maps available in Overwatch!
- Assault: Hanamura, Temple of Anubis, and Volskaya Industries
- Escort: Dorado, Route 66, and Watchpoint: Gibraltar
- Assault/Escort Hybrid: Eichenwalde, Hollywood, King’s Row, and Numbani
- Control: Ilios, Lijiang Tower, and Nepal
Q. How many players does each mode support?
A. All game modes and maps support 12 players in a 6v6 format.
Q. What different play modes are available in Overwatch during the Free Weekend?
A. There are a variety of ways to play Overwatch during the Free Weekend!
- Quick Play: Jump into a game against other players of similar skill.
- Play vs. AI: Hone your skills against a team of AI-controlled heroes.
- Custom Game: Customize the rules and play a game with your friends or AI.
- Weekly Brawl: Change things up with brawls featuring different rules sets and restrictions.
Players can also learn the ropes in a series of training modes: Tutorial, Practice Range, and Practice vs. AI.
Q. What’s the approximate download size of the Free Weekend client?
A. The approximate download size is 12GBs.
Q. Do I need Xbox Live Gold or PlayStation Plus to participate in the Free Weekend?
A. Xbox Live Gold and PlayStation Plus is required to play on Xbox One during the Free Weekend.
Q. What languages are supported during Free Weekend?
A. The Free Weekend will be supported by 10 languages across both platforms: English, French, German, Castilian Spanish, Polish, Italian, Russian, Latin American Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, and Japanese.
Q. Will my progress from the Free Weekend carry over if I purchase Overwatch later?
A. Yes. Any progression you earn, including levels as well as skins and other items you get from Loot Boxes, will carry over to the full game if you purchase Overwatch: Origins Edition on Xbox One or PlayStation 4 or any version of Overwatch on PC—just be sure you purchase the game on the same console account you played on during this free weekend.
Your stats will also be retained. (Trophies and achievements, however, have been disabled for the Free Weekend.)
Q. Will PC and console gamers be able to play together during the Free Weekend?
A: No, cross-platform play is not available in Overwatch.
Q. Will there be any sort of maintenance planned during the Free Weekend?
A. There’s no downtime or maintenance currently planned for the Free Weekend. If this plan changes at any point, we’ll be sure to provide information about major service interruptions in the official forums. For additional status updates, be sure to follow @PlayOverwatch on Twitter.
