'Overwatch 2' Will Go Live Just Over 24 Hours After 'Overwatch' Shuts Down

One of the most popular multiplayer first person shooters, Overwatch, is officially shutting down — to make room for players to transition to its sequel.

Overwatch 2 will completely replace Overwatch, meaning all players will have to start from square one together when the new game launches. Unfortunately, none of your progress will carry over from the first game to the second, so players only have until Overwatch servers go down to play. But what time does Overwatch 2 release?

According to Blizzard, Overwatch's servers will officially shut down at approximately 12 p.m. EST on Oct. 3. Since this is an approximate time, it's possible you'll be able to access the game for a little bit after this, but don't count on being able to play more than a match or two past this.

As Overwatch 2 is meant to completely replace the original game, players will no longer be able to access Overwatch after this time, even if you purchased a physical edition of the game.

Players will be able to start playing Overwatch 2 a little over 24 hours from the shut down of Overwatch. The new game will be live at approximately 3 p.m. EST on Oct. 4, giving Blizzard just over a day to transition into the new game. It's possible that it will take the developers a bit longer than this to fully implement the changes, so Overwatch 2 may go live a bit later than this.

Since the game will be free-to-play, once Overwatch 2 goes live, new and old players alike can dive into the game.

Even if you bought the physical edition of Overwatch, you'll still be able to use that game to access Overwatch 2. As the new game is completely free-to-play, your copy of Overwatch will give you complete access to Overwatch 2.

The game is also available to pre-load onto your console, which will make it easier for you to start playing as soon as the game's servers are up and running.

Those who have already purchased the game before it becomes a completely free-to-play title will be rewarded with the Founder's Pack, which will automatically give you access to the new hero Kiriko and unlocks the other heroes automatically.