If you missed the first two and is hoping for a third one, bad news: there will no third Overwatch 2 beta, as Activision Blizzard says it is now focused on making sure the game will release in the best state possible this October.
Here's how to download the beta version of Overwatch 2.
This was the confirmation of Blizzard VP and Overwatch commercial leader Jon Spector. As reported by Push Square, Spector responded to fan questions who were apparently concerned with the state of the game as it was presented in the two open betas and the single closed alpha. Considering that it's just a couple of months left before Overwatch 2 launches, the fans' concerns were well-founded.
Here is Spector's tweet:
Today marks just 2 months until Overwatch 2's launch! We know players are eager to dive in and have seen questions about the possibility of a third public Beta. While we will continue testing OW2 daily internally, we're not planning any additional public Beta tests. (1/2)
— Jon Spector (@Spex_J) August 4, 2022
In it, he basically says that the team at Activision Blizzard has gotten every piece of public feedback they needed to work on the game. Gamers are hoping that they actually did, because it does seem like the Overwatch 2 beta has revealed that fans aren't really too pleased with the upcoming sequel.
As reported by Win.GG, a lot of players who started with the original OW1 from 2015 - including streamers and pros - weren't too fond of the game's current state. One YouTuber thought the game was too similar to the original, that they called it "Overwatch 1.1" (obviously a knock against its supposed classification as a full sequel).
The YouTuber, who goes by the handle Dunkey, wasn't fond of the game's shift from 6v6 to 5v5. They said that while the change did make sure that OW2's combat is far more fast-paced, the game's original heroes were designed specifically for 6v6, not 5v5 combat. According to Dunkey, this made the firefights in the Overwatch 2 beta feel "unbalanced and chaotic," and far from what made the original game different from other shooters.
Other reviews of the beta were not as negative, though. GameRant said that the game was "fast and fun," but its most glaring flaw was the matchmaking. Queues were just way too long - sometimes going as long as 20 minutes for those who want to play Damage. The only way to cut times were to play Support, simply because not a lot of people wanted to play the role.
Read also: Call Of Duty Modern Warfare 2 Beta Dates Announced
Our Thoughts On The OW2 Beta
We at GameNGuide tried our hands on the beta as well, and our impressions were mostly in line with everybody else's. The gunplay does feel more fast-paced, akin to what you'd expect from another multiplayer shooter like Call Of Duty. We did like how the 5v5 basically changed how Tanks are played - Tank heroes are far more important now because there's just one for every team. At least that's how we perceived it.
On the subject of whether it is still too similar to OW1, it kinda is. Perhaps at least in terms of the strictly multiplayer mode, because one thing fans haven't seen a lot of yet is the game's PvE single-player. Maybe it could be good, but there's no way to judge it beyond what was shown during BlizzCon 2019.
Overwatch 2 launches on October 4th for all major platforms.
Related: Devs Explain Why Overwatch 2 Won't Reset MMR
