7PM ET
Although “select” folks have been able to enter the beta by way of account flagging, the official Overwatch early access period starts today, before the open beta kicks off later this week.
Instead of a random algorithm choosing your fate, prospective players that pre-ordered the game received two codes over the weekend (one is for a “friend,” so you can probably bug someone for an extra) that will allow them to start playing during the early access event, which will open up tonight at 7PM ET. For the rest of you undecided types, the open beta proper will run from May 5 through May 9 — after that, you’ll have to wait for the game to actually come out on May 24.
Having played close to 100 hours already, I’m pretty psyched for the full release. As a reminder, Overwatch is not a MOBA, and is more akin to an old school arena shooter. It’s also a premium game ($40 on PC, $60 on consoles), which will receive free updates in the form of new characters and levels, as well as support from cosmetic purchases.
