Overwatch Release Date, Xbox One/PS4/PC Open Beta Announced

The rumors were right. Blizzard's Overwatch is getting an open beta and the full game will launch in May, the developer announced today. The beta will run May 5-9 across Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC, but people who preorder by April 29 can play starting May 3 and they can invite a friend, too.

During the beta, players will get to try Overwatch's full roster of 21 characters, as well as every map that will be available in the full game at launch. "We want players to get a feel for the complete Overwatch experience," Blizzard said in its announcement.

On Xbox One, an Xbox Live Gold membership is required for the open beta and the full game. PS4 owners, meanwhile, do not need a PlayStation Plus subscription for the beta, but will need one at launch.

Blizzard also confirmed that Overwatch progression, including skins, rewards, and levels, will not carry forward to the full game. Additionally, progress will be wiped after the closed beta, too.

For lots more on Overwatch's open beta, you can check out the video above and this detailed FAQ.

The full version of Overwatch, priced at $60, launches on May 24 across all three platforms.

Overwatch was initially revealed as a PC game, but in November 2015 Blizzard added announced Overwatch for Xbox One and PS4. The game is not free-to-play and it will not offer cross-platform play across PC and consoles due to the advantage keyboard and mouse players might have.