While PlayStation gamers have always been allowed to play free-to-play games without an active PS Plus membership, the same has not always been true for Xbox. Even though the game didn’t cost anything to download, you typically required to have the gold tier of Xbox Live to play with your friends. Is Xbox Live Gold required to play Overwatch 2 now that it is free-to-play?

Is a current Xbox Live Gold membership required to play Overwatch 2?

No, you do not need a current Xbox Live Gold membership to play Overwatch 2. Fortunately, Microsoft made a significant adjustment in recent years that allows users with an internet connection to download and play free-to-play multiplayer games without needing to subscribe to their long-running program. If you’re a new player, you may hop into the game, create a Battle.net account, and start playing and unlocking new characters. If you want more cosmetics for your characters, you must either buy the season’s battle pass or obtain more money to spend in the store.

While the whole PvP gaming experience is free for Overwatch 2 gamers, the same is unlikely to be true for the PvE narrative and Hero Missions mode, which should ideally arrive in 2023. These sections of the game will have you working together with others to defeat AI foes in a variety of different settings and landscapes. While you can currently play PvP without an Xbox Live Gold subscription, we don’t know if that will be the case when PvE is released. We will update this post if we have more information.