What year does Overwatch 2 take place?

Overwatch 2 is brimming with deep lore. Several intertwining stories around the year 2077 help immerse players and provide more reasons to enjoy their favorite heroes. While it’s not explicitly stated Overwatch takes place in the year 2077, it’s one of the most solid theories we have and is backed by developer comments.

There have been eagle-eyed gamers putting in the hours to determine when OW2 takes place, calculating the exact days that line up with in-game posters. I personally place the details hidden throughout OW2 as my favorite theory, but it’s up for interpretation.

Theory after theory has made it around the wider OW2 community, with each being roughly similar years. But what are the leading ideas?

When does Overwatch 2 take place?

One player spotted posters scattered around some of the maps in Overwatch 2, noticing that some had explicit dates for future events. The OW2 gamer spotted the “Friday, May 14th” poster and ran the numbers.

The date lined up with either 2077 or 2088. Which matches the next lead almost perfectly. 

According to Overwatch Calvary, Overwatch 2’s lead game writer Michael Chu shared that the title “takes place around 60 years in the future.” This was said around 2016-17, meaning there’s a strong likelihood OW2 is indeed set in the latter years of the 2070s.

These comments were made before Overwatch 2 was officially released, meaning there could be a few years’ difference between the first and second games. However, it’s also likely the developers are staying in the same year.

There’s tons more lore to explore with Overwatch 2, you’ll just have to keep your eyes off your enemies, and on the walls to soak up all that knowledge.