Overwatch 2‘s recent launch has had players scrambling to jump back into the world of tomorrow and catch up with all their favorite heroes. While the game suffered a rocky launch, the servers are now more stable and the DDoS attacks have been fended off. Players can finally enter the game and try out its new heroes, cosmetics, battle pass, shop, and more.
Prior to all the news about Overwatch 2‘s launch, one of the most discussed topics this past year was the acquisition of Activision Blizzard by Microsoft. The move had many wondering whether Overwatch 2 and other Blizzard titles would show up on Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass service. Now that almost a year has passed since news of the acquisition broke, players are wondering whether the game has made it over to the seminal service yet.
Here’s everything you need to know about Overwatch 2 and Xbox Game Pass.
Overwatch 2 and Game Pass
Currently, Overwatch 2 is not available on any tier of Game Pass. The only way to acquire the game is through the Battle.net launcher on PC, the Microsoft Store on Xbox, the PlayStation Store on PlayStation, or the eShop on the Nintendo Switch. While the game is free-to-play, you’ll still need to download it before playing.
That doesn’t mean these games will always be exclusive to Activision Blizzard’s own platforms and standard game distribution channels. In the acquisition announcement last January, Microsoft made sure to mention that they plan to release Activision Blizzard titles on Game Pass if and when the acquisition goes through. “This acquisition will make Game Pass one of the most compelling and diverse lineups of gaming content in the industry,” reads part of the announcement.
As the deal hasn’t yet closed and is still being investigated by U.S. and U.K. government agencies, there’s no telling when, exactly, Overwatch 2 could hit Game Pass. When it arrives, it will likely be accompanied by other heavy-heaving Activision Blizzard titles like World of Warcraft, Call of Duty, and Diablo. Even when Blizzard’s titles are added to Game Pass’ catalogue, rest assured that they won’t become Microsoft exclusives: the company plans to continue to publish them on all consoles.
