Play 'Overwatch' free for a whole weekend on Xbox and PS4
Lots of people are into Overwatch these days, but clearly not enough. To fix that "problem," developer Blizzard Entertainment is letting noobs try it out for free.
PlayStation 4 and Xbox One users will get to participate in the first Overwatch Free Weekend during the second weekend of September. It starts on Sept. 9 at 11 a.m. PT and ends on Sept. 12 at 4 p.m. PT.
During this free weekend, the full game will be unlocked and available to download at no cost from each console's online store. Any leveling progress you make or Loot Boxes you earn will be yours to keep, even if you come back and buy the game at a later date.
You May Also Like
For PS4 users, all you need to participate is a console; no PS Plus subscription required. Xbox One users, on the other hand, will need to have an Xbox Live Gold subscription if they want to get in on the fun.
An added note for the PS4 folks: while Plus isn't required for the free weekend, you'll need a subscription to play online -- which is really the whole purpose of Overwatch -- if you end up buying it later.
It's also important to note that the free weekend doesn't apply to the PC version of the game, just the console releases. You can read more about Blizzard's plan right here.
For those that aren't familiar, Overwatch is a competitive multiplayer in which two teams of six clash in one of four different, randomly selected modes. It's the game's roster of heroes that helps it stand out; there are 22 in all, divided across four general classes, and each hero brings wildly different tools and abilities to each fight.
The game is played from a first-person perspective, though it's more than just a shooter. A lot of the popularity around Overwatch stems from how approachable the game is; while some of the 22 heroes require the sort of twitch shooting reflexes that games like Call of Duty demand, others focus more on healing or team protection.
Shooting is important, but shooting alone doesn't win an Overwatch match. This one's worth trying even if you're not big on FPS games.
Topics Blizzard Entertainment Esports Gaming
Adam Rosenberg is a Senior Games Reporter for Mashable, where he plays all the games. Every single one. From AAA blockbusters to indie darlings to mobile favorites and browser-based oddities, he consumes as much as he can, whenever he can.Adam brings more than a decade of experience working in the space to the Mashable Games team. He previously headed up all games coverage at Digital Trends, and prior to that was a long-time, full-time freelancer, writing for a diverse lineup of outlets that includes Rolling Stone, MTV, G4, Joystiq, IGN, Official Xbox Magazine, EGM, 1UP, UGO and others.Born and raised in the beautiful suburbs of New York, Adam has spent his life in and around the city. He's a New York University graduate with a double major in Journalism and Cinema Studios. He's also a certified audio engineer. Currently, Adam resides in Crown Heights with his dog and his partner's two cats. He's a lover of fine food, adorable animals, video games, all things geeky and shiny gadgets.
