Summary
Overwatch 2is finally returning to China on February 19, with a technical test opening up for fans on January 8. After over two years,Overwatch 2players in China will finally get to catch up on all the heroes, game modes, and other features from the 12 seasons they missed while their servers were unavailable.
On June 16, 2025, the contract between Blizzard and NetEase came to an end, meaning nearly every game developed by the former became unavailable to play in China, includingOverwatch 2. Luckily, in April 2024, the two companies buried the hatchet and began thelong process of restoring Blizzard games to China, one of the most populous countries in the world.
Now,Overwatch 2is finally making its triumphant return to China. In a short video shared by Walter Kong, the global general manager of theOverwatchfranchise, Blizzard announced the sequel shooter would be coming back to China on February 19 – right whenOverwatch 2Season 15 is scheduled to begin. Ahead of that, an open technical test will be running from January 8 through 15, giving every Chinese player the chance to try all 42 heroes, including Hazard,Overwatch 2Season 14’s new tank, and theOverwatchClassic 6v6 game mode.
Overwatch 2 Returns to China on February 19
Were that not exciting enough,Overwatchesports is coming back with a vengeance in 2025 with the Overwatch Championship Series, wherein Chinese players will be able to compete in a new dedicated China region. What’s more, the first live Overwatch Championship Series event in 2025 will take place in Hangzhou to celebrate its triumphant return to China.
To put into perspective exactly how much Chinese fans have missed, their servers shut downduringOverwatch 2Season 2. Ramattra was the latest hero in the game at the time, meaning they will have six new heroes to play: Lifeweaver, Illari, Mauga, Venture, Juno, and Hazard. On top of that, the Flashpoint and Clash game modes, the Antarctic Peninsula, Samoa, and Runasapi maps, and Invasion story missions were all released after their servers closed down – not to mention tons of hero reworks and balance adjustments – so Chinese players will have a lot to catch up on.
Unfortunately, it seems like the 2025Lunar New Year event inOverwatch 2will end shortly before the game returns to China, meaning these fans might miss out on the in-game event, including its new skins and the return of the Prop Hunt game mode. Hopefully,Overwatch 2will hold a belated version of the event so Chinese fans can celebrate their new year in the game along with their return to Future Earth.
Overwatch 2
WHERE TO PLAY
Overwatch 2 is an always-on and ever-evolving free-to-play, team-based action game set in an optimistic future, where every match is the ultimate 5v5 battlefield brawl. Power up your railgun and disrupt the battlefield as Sojourn, or yield your axe and command attention as Junker Queen. Battle to take control of a robot and move it toward the enemy base in the new Push Mode. Bring the fight to new destinations across the globe in iconic locations like New York, Rome, Monte Carlo and Rio. Daily challenges and frequent updates mean there is always something new to play.
