Overwatch All Access Open Beta Coming Up May 5-9

By David Yee

OverwatchBlizzard Entertainment’s hotly anticipated team-based hero shooter, Overwatch, is about to have its final public beta session before the game launches on May 24. All gameplay regions and all platforms (PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One) can access the open beta at the same time which starts on May 4 or May 5 depending on location. The all access open beta runs from May 4 at 4:00 PM PDT until May 9 at 10:00 AM PDT. PC users will need a Battle.net account and the Battle.net client installed to play Overwatch. For console users, Overwatch can be downloaded from the PlayStation Store and Xbox One Store.Overwatch Open Beta

Those who have an early access key can start playing the open beta May at 4:00 PM PDT. Two early access keys are given to each preorder of Overwatch either online through Battle.net or at a participating retailer.Overwatch Open Beta

All launch day heroes and maps will be available during the Overwatch open beta. Blizzard has released a few gameplay videos that introduce each one of the 21 heroes which are helpful for getting started. The game has seen many balance updates during its closed beta period and some characters play differently than shown in the gameplay videos, notably Bastion who no longer has the front-facing barrier in turret mode.

Overwatch is Blizzard’s newest IP since StarCraft in 1998 and their first shooter game. A fairly extensive hype campaign has seen the release of comics, animated short films, cross-game promotions, and even promotional prize cups from Taco Bell. Despite the impressive amount of lore and character back stories, each match in the Overwatch game is apparently noncanon. Two teams of six players pick any hero character and work with teammates to control the map objective. Each hero has a unique set of abilities that rewards a player’s ability for strategy and RPG-like spell management while leaving room for first-person shooter game sense. Thus, Overwatch is easy to pick up, yet rife with opportunities for advanced plays.Widowmaker_Overwatch_002

The minimum PC hardware requirements for Overwatch are decently generous calling for an Intel Core i3 or AMD Phenom X3 with NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460, ATI Radeon HD 4850, or Intel HD 4400. The recommended requirements for Medium graphic settings at 60 FPS call for substantially more powerful GPUs such as the NVIDIA GeFroce GTX 660, AMD Radeon HD 7950, or better. The hardware to reach Ultra settings at 60 FPS is even more demanding.

“Minimum (targeting 30fps):

  • Operating system: Windows 7/Windows8 /Windows10 64-bit (latest Service Pack)
  • Processor: Intel Core i3 or AMD Phenom X3 8650
  • Video: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460, ATI Radeon HD 4850, or Intel HD Graphics 4400
  • Memory: 4 GB RAM
  • Storage: 30 GB available hard drive space
  • Broadband internet connection
  • 1280×780 minimum display resolution

Recommended (targeting 60fps on Medium settings):

  • Operating system: Windows 7/Windows8 /Windows10 64-bit (latest Service Pack)
  • Processor: Intel Core i5 or AMD Phenom II X3 or better
  • Video: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 or ATI Radeon HD 7950 or better
  • Memory: 6 GB RAM
  • Storage: 30 GB available hard drive space
  • Broadband internet connection
  • 1280×780 minimum display resolution

For the best performance, please be sure to update to the latest drivers available for your graphics card”