The Overwatch 2 closed beta starts April 26th on PC only

Image: Blizzard

The registration page for the closed alpha testing of the game crashed almost immediately after it was announced last week. The developers of the new game are talking more about what to expect from the game and have announced a date for the start of the alpha testing.

The development of this sequel is being delayed due to scandals, lawsuits, and Microsoft's pending acquisition of the company. The team has been quiet about how things are progressing, but with a date for the alpha test set and plans to start season five of the league in May using an early build of the new game, it appears that we're going to hear about it.

This should serve as a reminder for players who didn't get the chance to sign up to do so, as well as a notice of the FAQ that should answer some questions. The FAQ can tell you if this start date will be available for console players and if you need to own a copy of the game to participate.

The participants will be selected based on their region and machine specifications, with invites sent out via email. If you aren't selected, you should be aware that other ways in will be announced, and that it could expand the test group once it is certain that the game will remain stable.

The minimum and recommended specifications for participation have risen slightly from the first game. The minimum listed specifications for the Overwatch 2 alpha are now closer to the recommended specifications for the first game in the series, which will ask that participants have at least an Intel Core i5 or i7 processor with at least 6 gigabytes of memory and a graphics card with at least an graphics card On medium settings, the recommended specifications include a Core i7 or Ryzen 5 series processor, a graphics card, and 8 gigabytes of RAM.

The developers discussed how they plan to address issues that caused players to dislike or even avoid taking over the vital role in the game, and how they plan to change the game for 5v5 action with one tank instead of its predecessor's 6v6 teams with two tanks. The system players can use to communicate information and intended actions, and it sounds like each character's voice lines may play a large part in delivering context.

The first Black woman on the game's roster, Sojourn, will finally be used in the game's upcoming alpha. Last week's update confirmed a new release strategy that will decouple the PvE content from the competitive elements, although we still don't know when.