Gerry Palmers Games 06.09.2021 23:Jun PM EDT

'Overwatch' Crossplay Support: How to Activate New Feature, Disadvantages, Free Golden Loot Box

The popular first-person multiplayer shooter game "Overwatch" will have a feature that will sure boost its team-based nature.

As per The Verge, the game will soon have a crossplay feature that will allow PC and console gamers to play together. Developer Blizzard Entertainment revealed that this feature will be officially available in the very near future.

"Overwatch" fans have been seeking a crossplay feature since the game became available across multiple platforms,

'Overwatch' Crossplay: Bringing All Players Together Regardless of Region or Platform

This update will bring together players using the Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Playstation 4, Playstation 5, Nintendo Switch and the PC, and allow them to team up and play with one another in online matches--much like "Fortnite," "Apex Legends," "Destiny 2" and "Call of Duty Warzone."

This new crossplay capability would come as a lead-up to "Overwatch 2," which offers new co-op player versus environment (PVE) modes that are optimized by crossplay.

According to Engadget, players would need to create a Battle.net account, which needs to be link to the PlayStation Network, Xbox, and Nintendo accounts, to enable this feature. This will let users play with friends they've added to their respective Battle.net accounts--not just those that exist in the same console community.

How to Join 'Overwatch' Crossplay Beta

To join the early "Overwatch" crossplay beta, you can create your free Battle.net account if you still don't have one. Select Account Settings from the drop-down menu, then hit Connections to connect your device. You will then be able to find friends through their Battle.net account names.

This will bring together friends from anywhere in the world, as "Overwatch" players need not to switch regions to play with friends on other global servers. Players in Asia or Europe, for example, would not have to manually switch to American servers to crossplay.

It is worth noting that crossplay will work for all game modes, other than Competitive. Blizzard will group console players in one pool and PC players in another due to what Blizzard calls "balance reasons."

And to sweeten the deal, players who will link their accounts before the end of the year will receive a free golden loot box, Blizzard announced.

Crossplay Disadvantages in 'Overwatch'

However, in this update, a key disadvantage is that the content collection you gained from one platform won't carry over to others, and this includes skins and XP levels. But this does not mean it won't be featured in future releases of "Overwatch," as The Verge quoted the game's technical director John Lafleur as saying that "it makes most sense to tackle cross play first, and then explore progression as a potential add-on."

Blizzard has not yet announced when this "Overwatch" crossplay will officially launch, but it might come soon after the crossplay beta ends, Dexerto added. While crossplay has not been revealed to form part of the sequel out soon, such a feature is crucial in "Overwatch 2".