Overwatch 2 will have a closed PvP beta in late April

Blizzard is decoupling the PvE and PvP modes of Overwatch 2

Overwatch 2 will be playable for a select few soon, though it’s arriving in smaller pieces. Blizzard announced today that it’s ‘decoupling’ the PvE and PvP modes of Overwatch 2, and hosting some closed tests of the multiplayer side soon.

In a new video, Overwatch game director Aaron Keller confirms that a closed alpha of Overwatch 2 PvP is starting this week. It will be under NDA, for Blizzard employees and “key partners” including Overwatch League players. A closed PC beta is coming in late April, and additional testing is expected for later this year with new maps and heroes.

Sign-ups for the Overwatch 2 closed beta in April are live now, and you can sign up here. The April beta will have the new hero Sojourn, four new maps, the new Push mode and ping systems, a few hero reworks, and will use the 5-vs-5 set-up.

Since Overwatch 2 was pre-emptively pushed back last year, the upcoming hero-shooter has felt a bit nebulous. The studio has also been through quite a bit in the last few years, to say the least. There’s the Activision Blizzard lawsuit and immediate fallout, the news of Microsoft’s acquisition of the company, and a fair bit of turnover at the top of the studio.

We’ll see whether the closed beta assuages concerns about the state of Overwatch 2. Branching off the multiplayer from the PvE side of the sequel might help get more pieces out faster, and Keller says the team is planning on putting out more frequent status updates.

You can sign up for the closed beta and try to see Overwatch 2 for yourself here.