Topic: Cross-Play is coming to Overwatch, Connecting All Platforms

[Grimace the Minace]

Five years after launch (and nearly two years after the Switch release), Overwatch is joining all of its players together.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/57407/cross-play-is-coming-to-overwatch-connecting-all-platforms

With the game's fifth anniversary event recently concluding and a sequel on the horizon, Overwatch will be receiving cross-play support soon.

In a developer update released on the official Overwatch YouTube Channel, game director Aaron Keller announced today that they will soon be allowing players to play the competitive online shooter with friends on other platforms (and yes, PlayStation is included). No specific date was given for when the feature will be enabled but an FAQ post on the game's website promised it would be "soon," with all players who launch the game between the feature's release and the end of 2021 receiving a free in-game loot box to celebrate. Keller was careful to clarify that cross-progression—the ability to sync your account progress across different platforms—would not be included in the update, though he said it would be "something that the Overwatch team is excited to work on in the future."

There are some restrictions included with cross-play, such as console players being required to link their Battle.net accounts. Additionally, the game's ranked competitive mode will not allow PC players to play with console players, though all console players will still be able to group up across platforms. Console players will also be given the option to disable cross-play if they so choose.

There was no mention of whether cross-play will also be featured in Overwatch 2, which they've said in the past will have all of its multiplayer upgrades backported into the original game for existing players to enjoy.