If you’ve seen friends posting clips of their Overwatch 2 POTGs or heard about the latest hero drops, you’ve probably wondered at least once: do you need Overwatch 1 to play Overwatch 2? It’s a super common question, especially since the franchise switched up its entire business model when the second installment launched, leaving a lot of lapsed and new players confused about access rules. I’ve played every season of both games since the original launched in 2016, so I’m breaking down exactly what you need to get in, what benefits original owners get, and common mistakes to avoid when setting up your account.
Do You Need Overwatch 1 to Play Overwatch 2? The Short Answer
No, you don’t need to own a copy of the original Overwatch to play Overwatch 2 at all. Blizzard shifted the franchise to a free-to-play model for the sequel, with the explicit goal of opening the game up to as many players as possible, rather than locking it behind a one-time purchase fee. I’ve had friends who never touched the original download it on a whim last month and jump straight into ranked after 10 quick play matches, no hoops to jump through.
Overwatch 2 is 100% free to access for all users, no ownership of the original Overwatch required at any point. This applies across every platform the game is available on, including PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox One/Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch. You don’t even need a paid online subscription for most platforms to play non-ranked modes, though you will need one for competitive play on consoles, same as most online multiplayer games.
That said, there are some small perks for players who did own Overwatch 1 before a specific cutoff date, even if they haven’t logged in for years. None of these perks are required to enjoy the full game, but they can save you a lot of grind time if you qualify for them.
Perks for Players Who Do Own Overwatch 1
If you purchased Overwatch 1 before June 23, 2022, you’ll automatically get access to the Overwatch 2 Founder’s Pack when you log in with the same Battle.net account you used for the original game. This pack is no longer available for purchase, so it’s exclusive to players who owned the first game before the sequel was announced. The pack includes the following benefits:
- Access to the first 35 original Overwatch heroes unlocked immediately, no need to grind through the new player onboarding challenge path
- Exclusive Founder’s Pack cosmetics including the General Genji skin, Blackwatch Cassidy skin, and 2,000 free Overwatch Coins that can be used for battle passes or cosmetic bundles
- Automatic access to all seasonal heroes released before Season 6, no battle pass purchase or challenge completion required
- A special "Founder" player title that displays on your profile card for all matches, visible to every player you queue with or against
If you purchased Overwatch 1 after that cutoff date, you won’t qualify for the Founder’s Pack benefits. I know a few people who bought cheap used copies of Overwatch 1 in 2023 hoping to get the Founder’s Pack, and they were really disappointed when it didn’t work, so double check that cutoff if you’re buying an old copy just for perks.
It’s worth noting that even if you don’t get the Founder’s Pack, you can still unlock all the original heroes for free just by playing, so the perks are mostly quality of life bonuses rather than pay-to-win advantages. The only exception is if you want to play competitive right away without grinding through the FTUE, which original owners get access to immediately after verifying their account. I used to play a lot of support on my original Overwatch account, so when I migrated to Overwatch 2, I was able to jump straight into ranked support matches without having to re-unlock Mercy or Ana, which saved me probably 20 hours of grind time.
What New Players Without Overwatch 1 Can Expect When Starting Out
If you’ve never owned Overwatch 1, you’ll go through the First Time User Experience (FTUE) when you first launch the game. This sequence includes a handful of practice matches that teach you basic movement, ability usage, and game mode rules, followed by a path of challenges to unlock the full roster of heroes over time. New players start with 13 free heroes, enough to play every role comfortably before unlocking more, so you don’t have to worry about being stuck with only one or two characters per role for your first few weeks.
You can unlock heroes faster by purchasing the premium battle pass each season, or you can grind for free by completing daily and weekly challenges that give you battle pass XP. All core game modes are available for free from day one, including quick play, competitive, arcade, and all seasonal event modes, so there’s no content paywall stopping you from playing whatever you want.
Many new players worry they’re at a disadvantage if they don’t own Overwatch 1, but that’s not the case at all. The game’s matchmaking system is tuned to pair you with players of similar skill level, regardless of how long they’ve been playing, and you’ll have access to all the same balance updates and new content as players who owned the original. The only thing you’ll miss out on is the limited-time Founder’s Pack cosmetics, which are no longer available for purchase anyway, so there’s no way to get them even if you wanted to pay extra. When my little cousin started playing last year, he only had 10 heroes for the first two weeks and still climbed to Gold rank playing only Support, so you don’t need the full roster to be competitive.
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Setting Up Your Overwatch 2 Account
First, make sure you link all your platform accounts to the correct Battle.net profile if you have old Overwatch 1 progress anywhere. Never link a new platform account to a random Battle.net profile if you have old Overwatch 1 progress on another account, as you can’t merge progress later. Blizzard only allowed account merges for a short window after Overwatch 2 launched, so if you link your console account to the wrong Battle.net profile now, you’ll lose access to any old cosmetics or Founder’s Pack perks you qualify for.
Second, don’t waste money buying used or digital copies of Overwatch 1 right now. They don’t give you any extra benefits past the 2022 cutoff date, and you can download Overwatch 2 for free anyway, so there’s no value in buying the old game at this point. The only exception is if you find a copy for less than $5 that includes a physical art book or other collectible you want, but it won’t give you any in-game benefits for Overwatch 2.
Third, don’t skip the FTUE practice matches even if you’ve played other hero shooters. Overwatch has unique mechanics like payload push, control point capture, and ultimate ability combos that most other shooters don’t have, and the practice matches do a good job of walking you through how they work without feeling like a tedious tutorial. You’ll have a way better first experience if you take 15 minutes to go through them instead of jumping straight into quick play and getting confused why your team isn’t standing on the objective.
You don’t need to buy any battle passes or cosmetic bundles to enjoy the full core game, so hold off on purchases until you’re sure you want to stick around. Many new players get tempted by the flashy premium cosmetics in the shop when they first launch the game, but you can get plenty of free cosmetics just by playing the game and completing challenges. I’ve unlocked every seasonal hero for free since the game launched, just by completing my weekly challenges when I have a few hours to play on weekends, and I’ve never spent money on a battle pass unless I knew I’d have time to grind through most of it that season.
At the end of the day, the answer to do you need Overwatch 1 to play Overwatch 2 is a clear no, and the barrier to entry for new players has never been lower. Whether you’re jumping in for the first time or coming back after years away from the original, there’s never been a better time to give the game a try, with new heroes, maps, and game modes dropping every few months to keep things fresh. If you do have an old Overwatch 1 account lying around, make sure to link it before you start playing to claim any leftover perks you might qualify for, otherwise you can just download the game for free and jump straight in whenever you want.