Overwatch's rise to popularity wasn't surprising given the game itself - it was poised perfectly in a period where shooting games were starting to explore and it married colourful characters, cartoonish graphics, and addictive competitive gameplay perfectly. It's one of the most successful competitive shooters of all time and it's a game everyone should at the very least try out. It ticks a lot of boxes, basically, and it's a game that would fit the free-to-play model perfectly. However, is Overwatch free to play?
Here's everything we know about that - and the possibility of that - so far...
Is Overwatch going to be free to play?
Although Overwatch's popularity is dwindling, it's still a popular game and one that you'd think was free-to-play when you compare it to things like Warzone, Apex Legends, and Valorant.
Overwatch, however, isn't a free-to-play title. It does get featured in free-to-play weekends on occasion though, but these are few and far between and we're not entirely sure it counts.
A key for Overwatch on PC (via BattleNet) can be purchased online through a Game Key retailer at a huge discount now - or, you can pick it up through Blizzard's BattleNet game launcher on sales a lot of the time. Overwatch is an old game - that doesn't mean it isn't worth your time, as it's always updated, but it just means that it's on sale a lot.
If you're looking for this game on consoles, too, you'll find it's on sale a lot on both the PlayStation Store and Xbox Store too. The Nintendo Switch version of Overwatch is newer and on sale a little less, but it's a lot less than the average first-party Nintendo Switch party.
With Overwatch 2 on the way - and reports that Overwatch is going to get all of Overwatch 2's additional multiplayer content for free - it's worth picking up Overwatch while you can. It might not be free, but it's well worth the money you will pay.