Blizzard will no longer be holding public tests for Overwatch 2, leaving fans waiting until its October release to see the game’s new final hero.
Two Overwatch 2 beta tests ran earlier this year, allowing players to test out Overwatch 2’s new Push game mode and 5v5 review. But it will be a few more months before fans can return, with Overwatch vice president and commercial lead Jon Spector announcing the end of the beta schedule.
“Today marks just two months until Overwatch 2 is released,” Spector said in a statement. tweet (opens in new tab). “We know players are eager to dive in and have seen questions about the possibility of a third public beta. While we continue to test OW2 daily internally, we are not planning any additional public beta testing.
“With all the valuable feedback we’ve received from our alpha and two public beta tests, we’ll be focusing our efforts on releasing the best game possible on October 4th.”
A colorful cast that’s growing fast
Some in the Overwatch community speculated that a third beta was on the way, hoping Blizzard would take the opportunity to reveal the sequel’s new final hero. Sojourn was introduced before the first public audition, while Junker Queen appeared shortly before the second. But we are yet to see much of the third addition to the Overwatch 2 roster.
Some provocations were made. O Overwatch 2 release date trailer (opens in new tab) briefly showed a ghostly blue fox jumping across a map, while Blizzard hinted that the unnamed character is somehow bonded to a fox during the final moments of the second beta. Blizzard has also confirmed that he will be a support hero and will be available to play from day one. Just what their name is, or what abilities they offer, is still a mystery.
Blizzard will likely reveal the new hero at some point in the next few weeks as it sparks excitement ahead of launch. Even so, dedicated fans won’t have the opportunity to play with the character before the full game is in their hands.
This isn’t the only mysterious character out there. As part of Overwatch 2’s new battle pass system, new seasons of content will be released every nine weeks. Each update will introduce new cosmetics and playable content, including maps and heroes. So far, we know that the first three seasons – stretching into February of next year – will introduce a new Hero.
For now, players may want to worry more about Overwatch 2’s monetization system. While the game is set to ditch skin boxes in favor of a rotating cosmetics shop, recent pricing suggestions have fans spooked. It won’t be long before all of Overwatch 2’s mysteries are revealed.
