Overwatch cross-play is now live - Battle.net accounts are now mandatory

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Blizzard has rolled out the cross-play update for hero shooter Overwatch, the feature having spent the last few weeks in beta testing. This means that all PlayStation, Xbox, Switch and PC gamers can now play together, though it also means that you must have a Battle.net account in order to play the online-only game. As an incentive to start fighting across platforms everyone who logs in to Overwatch by the end of 2021 will receive a Golden Loot Box to celebrate. To support cross-play, the patch also unifies the game balance across all platforms and all matches, removing some of the perks of console play. This means that enemy AI no longer does less damage on consoles, Anna’s Biotic Rifle no longer have increased projectile size, Ashe’s BOB no longer has reduced damage, and Symmetra’s Sentry Turret and Torbjörn’s turret both no longer have reduced damage. More damage for everyone! Here’s how to keep playing Overwatch once you’ve installed this update: Creating a Battle.net Account Visit Battle.net Create a free Battle.net account Once you create your Battle.net account, go to your Account Settings Click on the “Connections” section under Account Settings and link your console Linking Your Console Game and Battle.net AccountsThese instructions apply to the in-game steps console players will need to take once Cross-Play is available. Launch the game on your system Press the confirmation button to progress through the Overwatch welcome screen You will be presented with an alpha-numeric code and a QR code The alpha-numeric code can be entered at blizzard.com/link The QR code may be scanned with a mobile app to take you to the linking webpage, which will be pre-populated with the code provided in-game Log in with your Battle.net account credentials to finalize the connection between your console game and Battle.net accounts You will receive a message in-game that notifies that your account is now successfully connected Alongside the cross-play functionality, the update also adds Ashe’s Deadlock Challenge to the game, a limited time event running until 5th July with rewards including the new Deadlock Ashe skin. Source: Blizzard