The Overwatch free weekend begins today

On the off-chance you missed the announcement last week, this is a gentle reminder that Overwatch is free to play this weekend. And even though it's only Thursday, that weekend begins at 11 am PT/2 pm ET today.

The free-play period includes the full Overwatch roster, including Wrecking Ball, the delightful, mech-driving hamster who rolled off the PTR and into the full fight earlier this week. You'll have access to Quick Play, Custom Games, and the Arcade, and will level up, earn loot boxes, and unlock stuff the same as you would if you owned the game. And if you do opt to own the game when it's all over, any progress you earn during the free weekend will carry over.

If you haven't already got it, you'll need the Battle.net client and an account, which is also free. The Overwatch free weekend will come to an end at 11:59 pm PT on July 30. Full details are here.

Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.