WhenOverwatchfirst launched in 2016, it was at a time when cross-play between consoles was virtually unheard of, and so it’s not surprising that the feature wasn’t implemented in the hero-shooter game. In the years since, cross-play has become a common and expected feature, to the point where nearly every major online multiplayer game supports it in some capacity. Now it seemsOverwatchis finally going to get in on the cross-play action, as Blizzard has confirmed that the feature is on the way.
In the latestOverwatchDeveloper Update from Aaron Keller, it was confirmed that the game will be getting cross-play soon.Overwatchcross-playwill be available across all platforms, meaning PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Switch gamers can all team up inOverwatchonce the feature is live. However, it should be noted that cross-progression will not be in the game when cross-play goes live, though Keller teased that it’s something being worked on.
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Overwatchplayers on console who want to take advantage of the new cross-play feature will need to create and link their Battle.Net account to their consoles. A specialOverwatchloot boxwill be released to players once the feature goes live to celebrate.
WhileOverwatchfans may be excited that cross-play is finally coming to the game, there are some restrictions to keep in mind. When it comes toOverwatch’s Competitive Play, PC and console players can not play together. This means that there will be a pool of PS4, Switch, and Xbox One players in Competitive, and a separate pool for PC players. However, there can be a mix of PC and console players in other game modes.
For instance, inOverwatch’s Quick Play mode, players can be matched with every otherOWplayer, regardless of what platform they’re using. Of course, players always have the option of turning cross-play off, which will make it so they are only paired with those playing on the same system. The downside to this is that it doesn’t appear to be possible to turn cross-play off for specific platforms. So someone on Xbox that wants to play with PS4Overwatchplayers will have to do so knowing that they could get matched with PC players as well, who may have an advantage thanks to the mouse and keyboard setup.
Cross-play isn’t the only big change coming toOverwatch. WhenOverwatch 2launches, the games will be switching from the 6v6 setup that they’ve used since the original game launched in 2016 to a new 5v5 setup. How fans react to these changes remains to be seen, but we’ll find out in the coming months.
Overwatchis out now for PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.
