Upcoming Overwatch 2 event to reveal plans for the next beta

Overwatch 2
Overwatch 2 (Image credit: Blizzard Entertainment)

What you need to know

  • Developer Blizzard has announced that an Overwatch 2 event is coming on Jun. 16, and that it will reveal its plans for Overwatch 2 in the coming months.
  • Details about the next Overwatch 2 PvP beta will be revealed in this update as well.
  • Overwatch 2 is radically changing Overwatch's PvP by moving the game to a 5v5 format and reworking several heroes.

Following the conclusion of the recent Overwatch 2 beta test, developer Blizzard Entertainment has announced that a special Overwatch 2 event will be hosted on Jun. 16. During this event, the developers will share their plans for the next several months of 2022, and will also provide information regarding the next Overwatch 2 beta.

The Overwatch 2 beta introduced some of the earthshattering changes the sequel will introduce to the original game's PvP — namely, the move to a 5v5 format with one less tank and radical balance adjustments to many heroes — and it will be interesting to see how the developers at Blizzard continue to tweak and rework the game's heroes. During the event, it's likely that we'll get a closer look at some of these changes ahead of their implementation in a future beta test. Overwatch 2 has several heroes that need help, so hopefully Blizzard has plans to help these characters fit better into the 5v5 era.

We also haven't seen anything from the paid PvE campaign side of Overwatch 2 since it was announced in 2019, so there's a chance that the developers will show off their progress on that front as well. However, it's fairly unlikely, as the developers have committed to releasing the PvE and PvP separately and appear to be entirely committed to perfecting Overwatch 2's PvP first.

Source: Blizzard Entertainment (Image credit: Source: Blizzard Entertainment)

Now that the first beta has concluded, the question on everyone's mind is "When will the next beta start?" Blizzard will probably reveal the release date of the second Overwatch 2 beta during this event as well, though it's also possible that the studio may not want to commit to a hard launch date for it yet. Hopefully the second beta arrives sooner rather than later so that players can continue rigorously testing the new direction Blizzard is taking its popular hero shooter in.

The Overwatch 2 beta represented the Overwatch community's first taste of Overwatch 2, a massive (and free) overhaul to the original Overwatch that will rework many of the game's characters and shift the PvP to a 5v5 format by removing a tank from each team. If you'd like to try out future Overwatch 2 betas, you'll need to own a copy of the original game and then sign up for it. Overwatch is one of the best PC games available, so you should definitely pick it up if you don't have it already.

Brendan Lowry

Brendan Lowry is a Windows Central writer and Oakland University graduate with a burning passion for video games, of which he's been an avid fan since childhood. You'll find him doing reviews, editorials, and general coverage on everything Xbox and PC. Follow him on Twitter.