'Overwatch' is finally getting crossplay support

Five years after its initial release, crossplay is finally coming to Overwatch. Blizzard will soon start beta testing the feature, allowing players on all platforms where the game is available — PC, PlayStation 4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X and Nintendo Switch — to group up and play with one another. To use the feature, you’ll need to create a Battle.net account if you don't already have one and link it to your Xbox, PSN or Nintendo account. That’s something Blizzard will now require Overwatch players to do whether you plan to take advantage of crossplay support or not.

One other thing to note is that any collection content you earn on one system won’t carry over to another platform. Crossplay will also work for all game modes other than Competitive.

Blizzard says that by default, console players will only get matched up against other console players. The only way they will play with/against people on PC is if they group up with other players who are on PC. This system is similar to what we've seen from other crossplay-enabled games like Apex Legends, in an attempt to prevent mouse/keyboard players on PC from jumping into console-only lobbies and benefiting from more precise control.

The studio says it’s doing this for balance reasons. Lastly, Blizzard will give everyone who links their accounts together before the end of the year a free golden loot box.

Update: This post has been updated to more clearly explain how crossplay works between platforms.