Overwatch League returns Thursday, with perks and Overwatch 2 beta key drops

Blizzard Entertainment’s Overwatch League, the professional esports organization that’s been all about Overwatch, returns for a new season — the league’s fifth — on Thursday, May 5. The new season of Overwatch League esports will usher in a substantial change: OWL players will be competing in the Overwatch 2 PvP beta, which means teams of five, hero reworks, and brand-new hero Sojourn will be playable.

Overwatch League will also be playing Overwatch 2’s new mode, Push, as part of the gameplay rotation.

Viewers can check out the full Overwatch League 2022 schedule at the league’s official website, but here’s the gist for opening weekend: League play starts at 12 p.m. PDT/3 p.m. EDT on May 5 and runs through Sunday, May 8. Viewers who also play Overwatch will want to tune in for opening weekend, because the league is handing out beta access to the Overwatch 2 PvP test on PC — some 1,500 beta keys per hour. (Fans need to watch at least one hour of the broadcast to be eligible, Blizzard says, and are eligible for drops at the end of any hour in which they watch. Fans need to link their Battle.net account via the Overwatch League website for a chance to get into the beta.)

Overwatch players can also earn Overwatch League Tokens by watching, and those can be used to purchase limited-time skins exclusively available via those tokens. Viewers will earn five tokens for every hour of live Overwatch League matches they watch, with 2X token drops during select matches. Again, that requires linking your Battle.net account.

More details on Overwatch League perks and its opening weekend are available at the official website.