Overwatch 2 – How to Unlock Competitive Play

Wondering how to unlock Competitive Play in Overwatch 2?

New players who fire up Overwatch 2 on or after the game’s October 4th launch day must go through what Blizzard calls a guided First Time User Experience. This extended tutorial, described as a gradual onboarding process, is designed to introduce players to the game with drip-fed access to modes and Overwatch 2 characters. As part of the FTUE, Overwatch 2 competitive play isn’t immediately available to new players.

Original Overwatch players returning post-October 4th won’t need to go through these steps to unlock Competitive Play. Blizzard notes: ‘This only affects accounts made on or after the October 4th release date: anyone who has Competitive unlocked prior will have access to Competitive in Overwatch 2.’

READ MORE: Overwatch 2 Season 1 Battle Pass

How to Unlock Competitive Play

Players must complete the FTUE tutorial and a specific challenge to unlock competitive play. Instead of player level determining access to competitive play, as seen in the original Overwatch, newcomers need to play and win 50 unranked Quick Play matches to unlock Competitive Play in Overwatch 2. The process is identical whether you’re playing on PC, Xbox, PlayStation, or Nintendo Switch.

The logic behind this from Blizzard is that these 50 games will give new players the time and experience needed to meet the higher expectations of competitive matches. Conversely, veteran players won’t feel penalized for having a newbie with next to no game experience on their team.

You can view the requirements for unlocking Overwatch 2 competitive play in Challenges. From the main menu, click on Challenges, then Competitive among the options at the top of the screen.

What Modes Contribute to the Overwatch 2 Competitive 50 Win Unlock

Only modes in the Quick Play rotation contribute to unlocking Overwatch 2 Competitive mode. These include modes like Escort, Push, Control, and Hybrid. Note that only Quick Play wins contribute to unlocking Competitive Play, so it’s likely that the overwhelming majority of new players end up playing far more than 50 games before gaining access to Overwatch ranked play.

Overwatch 2 Competitive FAQ

When Can You Play Ranked in Overwatch 2?

You can play ranked in Overwatch 2 after playing and winning 50 Quick Play matches, at which point you’ll unlock Competitive Play.

What Is the Overwatch 2 Competitive Play Challenge?

The Overwatch 2 Competitive Play challenge requires you to play and win 50 games in Quick Play mode.

What Is Competitive Play in Overwatch 2?

Competitive Play is Overwatch 2’s ranked mode. Competitive Play matches players based on skill level and skill tier. Each win or loss adjusts the player’s rank, positioning them in set of tiers – Bronze through to Top 500, with five division in each tier (except for Top 500), ranking 5 to 1 from highest to lowest. When first playing Competitive, you’ll have to play through what are called placements or Competitive Play qualification – a series of games to determine you skill level and place you in the correct tier so you play alongside teammates and opponents of a similar level. After completing placements, you’ll be assigned a skill division.

What Are The Competitive Tiers in Overwatch 2?

• Bronze
• Silver
• Gold
• Platinum
• Diamond
• Master
• Grandmaster
• Top 500

What Modes Does Overwatch 2 Competitive Play Have?

• Role Queue – You select a defined hero role before queuing up.
• Open Queue – You are assigned a hero role at random by the game.