This is the last week that you can play Overwatch before it's gone forever

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Overwatch 2 will replace the original game next week

Overwatch final menu screen
(Image credit: Blizzard)

This is your final warning, Overwatch players, as you've only got a few more days to play the original game before it's gone for good and replaced with Overwatch 2. 

If you didn't know, Overwatch 2 is due to launch on October 4, 2022. However, with the joy of its launch comes with the sadness that we'll no longer be able to play the original Overwatch that has been part of our lives for the last six years. So, we suggest getting the most out of the first Overwatch game before around 9AM PT on October 3, 2022. 

You may have noticed that there's actually a break in between the shut down of Overwatch 1 and the launch of Overwatch 2. It's not all bad though as you can use this lull to reflect fondly upon your time playing the game and mentally prepare yourself for when the sequel officially drops. 

To add even more salt to the wound, if you boot up Overwatch between now and the dreaded October 3 D-day, you'll find a new menu screen that features all 15 of the original cast of heroes, in a sort of solemn celebration standing in front of a white screen. It really does feel like the end of an era. 

As you can imagine, Overwatch fans have been sharing their sorrow online with many creating memes about the loss and others genuinely thanking the game for the fun it has brought them over the last six years. You can find our favorite reactions below. 

Already done mourning? Find out everything you need to know about the Overwatch 2 Battle Pass and all the Overwatch 2 Hero changes.

Hope Bellingham
Hope Bellingham
News Writer

After studying Film Studies and Creative Writing at university, I was lucky enough to land a job as an intern at Player Two PR where I helped to release a number of indie titles. I then got even luckier when I became a Trainee News Writer at GamesRadar+ before being promoted to a fully-fledged News Writer after a year and a half of training.  My expertise lies in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, cozy indies, and The Last of Us, but especially in the Kingdom Hearts series. I'm also known to write about the odd Korean drama for the Entertainment team every now and then.