Blizzard announces several 'Overwatch' beta tests for this month

Ever since it’s announcement last year at BlizzCon, many fans have been excited to play “Overwatch,” a new character-focused multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA). Fans aren’t going to have to wait much longer, as Blizzard announced that a beta for the game would be happening by the end of the month, on Oct. 27.

In order to participate, fans will have to register on the Battle Net site of Blizzard and then wait to get called up via email, like in most beta tests. The people in Blizzard are hoping to get feedback on the game and improve any flaws that might be spotted in the test.

There will be two different beta tests planned for the game: a close beta test and a weekend one. The close beta will only have a small number of gamers trying out the game and giving the developers feedback on the gameplay. The numbers will be extremely limited, but will grow as the tests continue.

The weekend beta test on the other hand will have room for plenty of testers to try out. Unlike the closed test, the goal for the weekend beta is to see if the game’s servers can handle a large amount of players. This is arguably one of the most important types of beta tests, especially if the game is centered on multiplayer.

While the weekend tests will allow a large amount of gamers into the fray, it’s not going to be a public test. Game Informer has confirmed that the weekend beta will still be invitation only, so fans that sign up for it better cross their fingers and hope for the best.

The beta will be running on a Windows PC and possible testers must have the Battle Net app to participate in it. The tests will also have limited characters and modes, so the developers can see how many players the game can handle at the same time.

No release date for “Overwatch” has been given, though it could be announced sometime after the beta tests have finished. There’s a good chance that it will hit next year, since Blizzard is already planning beta tests.

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