Overwatch: Return is expected to be launched globally on October 5th

Blizzard officially announced that "Overwatch: Return" is expected to be launched globally at around 3:00 am Beijing time on October 5th, and will be transformed into a free-to-play mode, and some new versions of the relevant specifications have been announced.

In addition, in order to ensure the smooth launch of "Overwatch: Homecoming", Blizzard will shut down the current version of "Overwatch" from around 12:00 pm Beijing time on October 3. This means that October 3rd is the last day you can play the original Overwatch all day.

After "Overwatch: Homecoming" is converted to a free game mode, all players must bind a valid mobile phone number to the Battle.net pass before entering the game. Existing players and those who have the monitoring station package can pre-load the game at 4:30 am Beijing time on October 1st, with a download content of about 50GB. If you have auto-updates enabled on Battle.net, the download will start automatically in the background. Otherwise, you'll need to click the gear to the right of the start game button and select "Check for Updates" to start the download manually.

Overwatch: Homecoming also has some restrictions for new players, the first phase of the new player experience will unlock all game modes and in-game chat, and the second phase will unlock all Overwatch after about 100 games of the Initial hero.

The requirements to play Competitive Mode have also changed in Overwatch: Homecoming. Blizzard will remove player levels from the game, and new players will not need to reach a certain level but will have to win 50 quick games to unlock Competitive Mode. That way, new players have plenty of time to prepare for the more demanding competitive modes, and veterans won't be discouraged by inexperienced teammates.

According to the official introduction, "Overwatch: Homecoming" will regularly release season updates and battle orders, which will contain a variety of new content, including new heroes, game modes, maps, personalized items, and other content. The PVE mode that players expect will be launched in 2023, and the experience will advance the development of the plot.