Blizzard has changed up its launch plans for Overwatch 2 and the good news is that players will be able to get their hands on the game earlier than expected.

The news comes from an Overwatch 2 developer update posted today on the PlayOverwatch YouTube channel.

The Overwatch sequel was supposed to launch with a reworked PvP mode and an entirely new PvE mode at the same time, but now Blizzard has decided to push out the PvP mode separately.

Closed alpha testing for "Blizzard employees, Overwatch League pros, and a few other select groups" begins today.

Blizzard says the beta will feature a new hero called Sojourn, four new maps and 5v5 gameplay.

PC players will be able to take part in a closed PvP Beta that is set to begin in late April.

How to sign up for the Overwatch 2 beta

Keen PC gamers will want to head on over to https://playoverwatch.com/en-gb/beta/. From there, it's as simple as following the instructions:

  1. Log in to your Battle.net account at the top right of the page
  2. Scroll to the bottom of the beta page
  3. Click 'Sign up now'

Then, it's just a case of crossing your fingers and waiting to hear the good news.