If you’ve been sat there wondering what on Earth a “Gremlin D.Va” is or why everyone suddenly thinks the word “boop” is so funny, Blizzard have decided to help. Overwatch will be totally free to play from Friday, November 18 through Monday, November 21. That includes every aspect of the game, from the full roster of heroes through all the maps and modes.
For what’s coming next to the game, see our Overwatch patch 1.5 rundown.
It all kicks off at 11am PST, November 18 and ends at 4pm PST, November 21. Here’s when that is in various other timezones:
- 19:00 GMT, Nov 18 to 00:00 GMT, Nov 22
- 20:00 CET, Nov 18 to 01:00 CET, Nov 22
- 06:00 AEDT, Nov 19 to 11am AEDT, Nov 22
- 14:00 EST, Nov 18 to 19:00 EST, Nov 21
Here’s Blizzard’s handy start times map:
Please note that a number of the time conversions on the announcement post are incorrect, particularly in the table below the map. Hopefully those are fixed soon, but the image itself as well as our own conversions above are correct. Every Time Zone is likely the easiest way to keep track.
To get it all set up on PC, you’ve just got to make a Battle.net account and download the app. Once start time hits the buy button on the Overwatch panel will be replaced by install. Full instructions for the console versions are in the announcement post.
As for what’s available, the FAQ details that it’s everything currently in the live game. Interestingly, that limits it to no Sombra and no Arcade – the items currently in testing on the Overwatch PTR. As discussed in this week’s episode of Overwatch This, a go-date for that patch is still up in the air, but if it’s not live by the time the free trial goes live we would have assumed that trial players gained access to the PTR like anyone else. While it’s not available on consoles, it would be weird to limit non-paying players in this way when they aren’t in any other. PTR periods haven’t matched up with free trial ones in the past, so we’ll find out on the 18th.
Lastly, if you play a bit and decide you like it, any stat tracking and loot box progression will carry over to your main account, assuming you use the same BNet login. Good luck!