Summary
- Overwatch 2 will return to China on February 19 after a two-year absence, with a technical test on January 8.
- Chinese players have missed 12 seasons.
- The first live Overwatch Championship Series event in 2025 will take place in Hangzhou to celebrate the game's triumphant return to China.
Overwatch 2 is set to make a thrilling return to China on February 19, following a two-year hiatus. To gear up for this much-anticipated comeback, a technical test will be available for eager fans starting January 8. Chinese players, who have been out of the loop for 12 seasons, will finally have the opportunity to dive back into the action and explore all the new heroes, game modes, and features they've missed.
The absence of Overwatch 2 in China began on January 24, 2023, when Blizzard and NetEase's contract ended, leading to the unavailability of nearly all Blizzard games in the region. Thankfully, in April 2024, both companies reconciled and embarked on the journey to restore Blizzard's titles to one of the world's most populous countries.
In a recent announcement shared by Walter Kong, the global general manager of the Overwatch franchise, Blizzard confirmed that Overwatch 2 would be relaunched in China on February 19, coinciding with the start of Season 15. A technical test, running from January 8 to 15, will allow every Chinese player to test all 42 heroes, including the latest addition, Hazard, from Season 14, and the classic 6v6 game mode.
Overwatch 2 Returns to China on February 19
The excitement doesn't stop there. Overwatch esports is set to make a strong comeback in 2025 with the Overwatch Championship Series, featuring a dedicated region for China. The first live event of the series will be held in Hangzhou, marking a celebratory return of the game to China.
To highlight the extent of what Chinese fans have missed, the servers went offline during Overwatch 2 Season 2, with Ramattra as the newest hero at the time. Since then, six new heroes have been introduced: Lifeweaver, Illari, Mauga, Venture, Juno, and Hazard. Additionally, new game modes like Flashpoint and Clash, maps such as Antarctic Peninsula, Samoa, and Runasapi, and the Invasion story missions have all been added. Chinese players will also need to catch up on numerous hero reworks and balance changes.
Unfortunately, the 2025 Lunar New Year event in Overwatch 2 is scheduled to end just before the game's return to China, potentially causing fans to miss out on new skins and the return of the Prop Hunt game mode. However, there's hope that Overwatch 2 might host a special version of the event to allow Chinese players to celebrate their new year and the game's return to Future Earth together.
