Overwatch 1 shutdown: When does Overwatch end & what happens to skins?
Everything you need to know about the impending demise of Overwatch 1.
With Overwatch 2 launching this week, Overwatch 1 will be shutting down, and this of course raises plenty of questions for players of the original game in this much-loved shooter franchise.
What time does Overwatch 1 shut down, and what what will happen to your Overwatch 1 skins, cosmetics and general progress when it does? Those are major talking points in the fandom right now, and luckily, the information to provide the answers is very much available.
Keep on reading, then, and we'll dive into the essential information you need to know about the impending demise of Overwatch 1. The end is nigh, folks!
What time does Overwatch 1 shut down?
Here in the UK, Overwatch 1 will shut down at 5pm BST on Monday 3rd October.
Today is your very last chance to play Overwatch 1, then! The sequel is coming out tomorrow, so you shouldn't be out of a hobby for too long. But still, it very much feels like the end of an era, doesn't it?
Read more on Overwatch 2:
- Is Overwatch 2 crossplay? Online options explained
- Overwatch 2 story mode - when is PvE content coming?
- How to merge Overwatch 2 accounts - don't miss out
- Is Overwatch 2 down? Check the server status
- Overwatch 2 achievements - full list of trophies
- Overwatch 2 characters - unlock every hero
- Overwatch 2 Junker Queen - learn all about her
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Can you keep your Overwatch 1 skins in Overwatch 2?
Yes, you will be able to take your Overwatch 1 skins with you into Overwatch 2, and all of your progress will be remembered as well.
The developers from Blizzard confirmed this in a lengthy blog post about cross-progression, which confirmed that players with existing Overwatch accounts should be prompted at login to merge any existing accounts they have, in order to carry their progress into the new Overwatch 2 experience.
"All items in the Hero Gallery across platforms will be present in the merged battle.net account," Blizzard confirmed in the blog. "This includes all sprays, emotes, skins, and everything else in the current Hero Gallery tab in-game." Your statistics will also be merged and brought along for the ride, and your credits and tokens will come with you as well.
All players of Overwatch 2 will receive two free skins, Junker Queen and Sojourn, if they log in during Overwatch 2 season 1. Returning players that bought the Founder's Pack will also receive a Kiriko skin.
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Authors
Rob Leane is the Gaming Editor at Radio Times, overseeing our coverage of the biggest games on PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, PC, mobile and VR. Rob works across our website, social media accounts and video channels, as well as producing our weekly gaming newsletter. He has previously worked at Den of Geek, Stealth Optional and Dennis Publishing.
