Crossplay is supported for much of Overwatch 2, but that’s not necessarily true when it comes to Competitive Mode. If you are a ranked player, things are a bit more complicated.
Unifying the player base was one of Blizzard’s biggest focuses for Overwatch 2. Before the game’s launch, the developer announced an account merge process across platforms to support cross-progression. Players can crossplay with friends across platforms in Quick Play to their heart’s content.
The first Overwatch famously refused to allow PC and console players to coexist on the same server, thus splitting the two into different pools for matchmaking. Blizzard made a lot of changes to ranked play in Overwatch 2, which has raised new questions regarding crossplay.
Here’s everything you need to know about crossplay in Overwatch 2‘s Competitive mode.
Is Overwatch 2 competitive crossplay?
Overwatch 2’s Competitive mode does not support true crossplay. Like the first game, PC and console players are separated in ranked matches. PC players can only play with and against other PC players. Console players can play with and against any other console players.
Players who own a console can pair up to find out whether the Xbox or PlayStation reigns supreme, but the lonely PC player cannot play competitive games alongside or against their console brethren. Not even the game’s competitive rework in season nine changed the fact that competitive matchmaking between consoles and PC is prohibited.
As you might imagine, some players aren’t too thrilled about this.
Why doesn’t Overwatch 2 competitive have crossplay?
The last thing PC players want is to get absolutely decimated by a controller user with aim assist. On the flip side, controller users don’t want to get obliterated by a PC gamer with a mousepad.
PC players don’t have access to things like aim assist, and using a mouse provides a much more precise method of aiming, making it dramatically unfair in a competitive sense from both angles.
These restrictions, while frustrating, are there for a reason. Maintaining integrity in an esport like Overwatch 2 is integral to keeping the game competitive. Players shouldn’t have to play against someone who isn’t evenly matched.
How crossplay works in Overwatch 2
If you want to play with friends across platforms, you’re better off playing Quick Play, which has no crossplay restrictions. Be warned, however, that this means you’ll be going up against console players using aim assist, which may or may not be to your disadvantage.
But keep in mind that console players can be at a disadvantage without aim assist. This was most likely Blizzard’s attempt at balancing matches more fairly to create equalized experiences. You won’t likely see a major difference in skill level.
To use Overwatch 2’s crossplay feature, you’ll have to:
- Locate the Social Menu in Overwatch 2
- Click “Add a Friend”
- Type in their email address or battletag
- Click submit and invite them once they’ve accepted
If you’re playing on Xbox, you might have to do some extra steps to permit crossplay from your Xbox console. You’ll have to head into your Account settings and modify your Xbox privacy settings to permit cross-network play between your console and other consoles and/or PCs.
Blizzard may add the feature in the future, but for now, you’ll need to switch platforms if you want to play Competitive with friends in the other pool.
