How to play Overwatch for free on Nintendo Switch
Blizzard Entertainment/Nintendo[jwplayer RGKcVLeK]
Overwatch will finally be going free to play – sort of – on the Nintendo Switch for a limited time, and the available dates could be a hint about the game’s Halloween Terror 2020 event.
Overwatch finally made it to Nintendo’s latest system in 2019, and while the port hasn’t seen as big a player base as PC or other consoles, finding a game still doesn’t take long at all.
In an effort to get more people playing on the Switch, and playing Overwatch in general, Blizzard will be making the game free to play for Nintendo Switch Online members from October 13 to 20.
If you’re a Nintendo fan or a regular Switch gamer, chances are you’ll have a subscription to the online service already – but if you’re not, there is a way to play Overwatch for free without paying the $3.99 fee.
On 10/13 until 10/20 at 11:59 PM PST, #NintendoSwitchOnline members can experience the full version of @PlayOverwatch!
Fight for the future in intense 6v6 team battles, using a mesmerizing lineup of heroes, weapons, and powers to claim victory!https://t.co/D6XNvODP5B pic.twitter.com/05EWzSjgJX
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) October 6, 2020
Nintendo Switch Online, as we said, does require a paid subscription. However, if you’re not already signed up, you can get a 7-day free trial, which will cover the exact amount of time that Overwatch is free to play.
When the game has gone temporarily free to play on PC or other consoles, it’s been limited to Quick Play and limits players to a certain level cap. However, Nintendo does say in their tweet that we’ll be able to “experience the full version,” so we should be able to hop into Competitive, as well.
How to play Overwatch for free on Nintendo Switch
- Go to the Nintendo eShop on your Switch.
- Sign up for the 7-day free trial of Switch Online (if you don’t have a subscription already).
- Download Overwatch for free (starting Oct 13.) & jump into a game.
- Remember to cancel your subscription – if you don’t want to pay – before the 7-day trial is up.
Blizzard EntertainmentThe promotion, interestingly enough, begins almost a year to the day after Overwatch first came out on the Switch – October 15, 2020 – but there could be more with the date than just that coincidence.
It’s currently October, which means we’re all waiting patiently for Halloween Terror to kick off and to take a look at all of the new skins that will come with it.
The 13th would make sense as a start date for the fan-favorite seasonal event, and it’s also a Tuesday, which is one of the days Overwatch devs like to push out updates, too.