With the upcoming release of Overwatch 2, Blizzard will shut down the Overwatch 1 servers ahead of launch.
Overwatch 2 will be released on the 4th of October and is basically an upgraded version of Overwatch 1. On the day, all players who have Overwatch pre-installed should see 'Update the game to Overwatch 2' pop up as an option on their PC or console. While it is cool to finally get the next version of Overwatch, it is sad to say goodbye to the first game. Here is everything you need to know about the shutdown of the servers, including the date and everything you should do before the release of Overwatch 2.
Overwatch 1 Servers Shutdown Date
The old Overwatch 1 servers will shut down even before Overwatch 2 releases. As soon as that happens, fans won't be able to play Overwatch 1 anymore, ever. RIP, old friend. Commercial lead Jon Spector has announced in an interview with Eurogamer, that the Overwatch 1 servers will be shutting down on the 2nd of October, roughly 27 hours before Overwatch 2 releases.
How To Prepare For Overwatch 2
Until the Overwatch 1 servers are being shut down, there are a few things you should do to prepare for Overwatch 2. If you haven't played Overwatch in a while, it might be smart to check if you already have a Battle.net account or if you have access to it. The Battle.net account is the place where all of your in game data will be stored. So, if you want to play Overwatch 2 on your original account and keep all your skins, stats, levels etc. you should definitely check this out.
Until October 2, you'll have access to the Last Chance event in Overwatch 1 where all seasonal cosmetic items that appeared in Overwatch 1 will be available for purchase. You earn credits when opening loot boxes and receive duplicate cosmetic items. Which brings me to my next point:
Overwatch 2 won't have lootboxes, so I suggest you to check, whether you have any unopened lootboxes left. These should be automatically opened before the servers will be shut down, but have one last look and check if you really have everything.
Spector has announced that they will release a checklist to prepare for the Update soon, so stay tuned. Here is everything else, you might want to know about Overwatch 2: