You can play Overwatch for free until January 4

A snapshot of Overwatch gameplay. (Image credit: Blizzard Entertainment)

What you need to know

Overwatch currently has a free trial that runs from now until January 4, 2021.
The free trial is available on all platforms.
Overwatch is a team-based competitive hero shooter where two teams of six battle over a variety of objectives.
Overwatch 2 is also on the horizon, which will add PvE missions and a story mode to the mix.

Blizzard Entertainment has made a free trial of its hit team-based competitive hero shooter Overwatch available from now until January 4, 2021. The free trial is available on all platforms and allows players to play all of the PvP gamemodes that are available in the full game, including Payload, Capture Point, Hybrid (a mix of both of these objectives), and Control Point (Overwatch's version of king of the hill). In Overwatch, two teams of six players battle with one another over objectives and each player picks a hero to play as. Notably, if you plan on playing on PC, you'll need to make an account for Battle.net, which is Blizzard's game distribution platform.

While we highly recommend the full Overwatch experience, it may be better to wait for Overwatch 2 to come out. This is because Overwatch 2 will include everything that the first game gives access to, while also adding in a story mode and PvE content to the mix. Currently, it's not known when Overwatch 2 will release, but many are speculating that we'll see it come out in 2021. We know for sure that we'll get some Overwatch 2 news during BlizzConline in February 2021, so hopefully we'll get a release date then. For more on Overwatch 2, don't miss our guide to the differences between Overwatch and Overwatch 2.

Overwatch heroes — Source: Blizzard Entertainment (Image credit: Source: Blizzard Entertainment)

Overwatch is available now on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One consoles, PlayStation 4 and 5, and Windows 10 PCs for $60 MSRP, although the price often fluctuates based on sales and other factors. We highly recommend it, as it's one of the best Xbox One shooters.

2016's Game of the Year

Overwatch

The shooter that took the world by storm

The world needs heroes. Join millions of players as you take your place in the world of Overwatch. Choose your hero from a diverse cast of soldiers, scientists, adventurers, and oddities. Bend time, defy physics, and unleash an array of extraordinary powers and weapons. Engage your enemies in iconic locations from around the globe in the ultimate team-based shooter.

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. He's been writing for Team WC since the summer of 2017, and you'll find him doing news, editorials, reviews, and general coverage on everything gaming, Xbox, and Windows PC. His favorite game of all time is probably NieR: Automata, though Elden Ring, Fallout: New Vegas, and Team Fortress 2 are in the running, too. When he's not writing or gaming, there's a good chance he's either watching an interesting new movie or TV show or actually going outside for once. Follow him on X (Twitter).