The "Overwatch 2" closed beta is now scheduled for next month, according to Activision Blizzard. However, it won't be available for everyone who wants to try out the long-awaited sequel to the popular hero-based shooter.
overwatch 2 screenshot
According to Eurogamer, the aforementioned closed beta will begin ONLY for PC players on April 26th. Players will have access to the game's 5v5 PvP modes, which include its new Push mode. Aside from that, there will also be four new maps, a new hero in Sojourn, and reworks to existing heroes Doomfist, Bastion, Orisa, and Sombra.
Sojourn is the first Black woman to be included in the "Overwatch" hero roster, writes The Verge. She is a DPS character (i.e., a damage dealer) who uses an energy rifle that doubles as a railgun, but her Ultimate ability is still kept well under wraps for now (via PCGamesN).
Anyone interested in joining the closed beta on Battle.net can sign up by visiting PlayOverwatch.com. Activision Blizzard states that the PvP beta is for them to "put some more polish" on the "Overwatch" sequel. But aside from the "Overwatch 2" closed beta, signing up will also give people a chance to join future beta tests.
This is perhaps the best news out of the game's troubled development cycle. Ever since it was first announced during BlizzCon 2019, "Overwatch 2" has had multiple major setbacks that kept players in the dark about its development status.
One of these setbacks is the departure of Blizzard lifer Jeff Kaplan, who worked for the company for almost two decades and served as the director of the original "Overwatch." With his resignation, fellow long-time employee Aaron Keller stepped in to helm the development of "Overwatch 2" moving forward.
The other setback is the most obvious one: Activision Blizzard's legal troubles. The lawsuit alleged a toxic workplace which was detrimental mostly to female employees and minorities, with the former accusing the company of maintaining a "frat boy culture" that encouraged unwanted sexual advances, rampant sexism, and even rape jokes at the expense of women within the company.
Employees gather for a group photo during a walkout at Activision Blizzard offices in Irvine, California, U.S., on Wednesday, July 28, 2021. Activision Blizzard Inc. employees called for the walkout on Wednesday to protest the company's responses to a recent sexual discrimination lawsuit and demanding more equitable treatment for underrepresented staff.
Read Also: 'Overwatch' Grandmaster Player On PC Tries Playing On Console; Immediately Gets Destroyed
What You'll Need To Join The 'Overwatch 2' Closed Beta
Before joining the "Overwatch 2" closed beta, however, you'll need to fulfill a few requirements put forth by Activision Blizzard.
Let's start with the system requirements. To run the game, you'll need this kind of hardware at the minimum (via Dexerto), which will allow you to play the game at low settings with 30 FPS:
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CPU: Intel Core i3/AMD Phenom X3 8650
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GPU: NVIDIA GTX 600 series/AMD HD 7000 series
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RAM: 6GB
For medium settings with 60 FPS, this is what you'll need:
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CPU: Intel Core i7/AMD Ryzen 5
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GPU: NVIDIA GTX 1060/AMD R9 380
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RAM: 8GB
You'll also need at least 50GB of storage space, and a monitor with a minimum resolution of 1024x768.
Lastly, all closed beta signees will need to own a copy of "Overwatch 1" to be eligible.
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This article is owned by Tech Times
Written by RJ Pierce
