When can you pre-download Overwatch 2?

It’s hard to believe, but Overwatch 2 is almost here. In just a few days’ time, the previous game will be retired and a new iteration of the franchise will take its place. Fans around the world are preparing by making space on their PCs, buying a handful of last-minute cosmetics from the original Overwatch, and learning all about Kiriko, the most recently-revealed new hero.

One of the most important preparations you can do is to download the game in advance. Doing so improves your chances of being one of the first fans to experience Overwatch 2, and it cuts down on the waiting you’ll have to do when the game officially goes live. Depending on your player status, Blizzard Entertainment is offering a few different ways to pre-download the game to ensure you’re not stuck watching a progress bar while your friends jump into the queue on launch day.

Here’s everything you need to know about pre-downloading Overwatch 2.

When can you pre-download Overwatch 2?

When you can pre-download Overwatch 2 depends on whether you’re new to the game or not. If you played the first Overwatch on PC or purchased the Watchpoint Pack specifically for PC, you can pre-download the game starting on Friday, Sep. 30 at approximately 1:30pm PT. The PC download will be about 50 GB, so make sure you have enough space before initializing the download. If you have auto-update turned on in Battle.net, the pre-download will start automatically when it becomes available.

If you’re an existing console player, you’ll be able to pre-download the game on console starting on launch day, Oct. 4, at about 9am PT. The game isn’t anticipated to be live until around 12pm PT on Oct. 4, so your download has a chance to finish before then. The console download will be around 30 GB, which is smaller than the PC download size by about 20 GB.

If you’re a brand-new player on either PC or console, you won’t be able to pre-download Overwatch 2. Instead, you’ll need to wait for when the game goes live at around 12:00pm PT on Oct. 4. Either way, make sure you have enough available storage space for the download and that you’ve completed all of the other launch checklist items so that you’re ready to go as soon as servers go live around the world.