As an avid Overwatch player with hundreds of hours logged on both PC and consoles, I was both excited and apprehensive about transitioning my unlocks and competitive rankings from the original game into Overwatch 2.
On one hand, I couldn‘t wait to showcase my rare skins and watch my golden weapons shine on the new maps and heroes!
But consolidating progression using the brand new cross-platform merge functionality also made me nervous: What if something doesn‘t carry over properly? Could I accidentally lose legacy skins that took me ages grinding loot boxes to obtain?
Fortunately, after carefully documenting my own account merge process to transfer skins across PC, Xbox and Nintendo Switch, I have become well-versed in exactly how Overwatch 2 cross-progression works.
So whether you only played the original Overwatch sporadically or were a multi-star silver border veteran like myself, follow this comprehensive guide to understand the nuances of progression merges to ensure you transition all your beloved skins and competitive rank accurately into Overwatch 2 before jumping into matches with friends on different platforms!
Linking Console Accounts to Battle.net
The key to consolidating all your Overwatch skins and progression into one primary Overwatch 2 account lies with linking your other gaming platform IDs to a Battle.net account first.
For PC Players
Luckily for PC gamers, our progression is inherently tracked via Battle.net already, so nothing additional needs done here! Boot up the Blizzard desktop app and log into your BNet account that you play Overwatch through. If you‘ve played on PC all these years like me, your entire legacy is stored safely here already.
Console Players Must Link Accounts!
However, my console friends have extra work to do in preparation for cross-progression…
All Xbox Live, PlayStation Network and Nintendo Account IDs must be tied to a core Battle.net account in order for Blizzard to synchronize data across ecosystems when transitioning accounts into Overwatch 2.
Here‘s how to securely link your console platform login with Battle.net pre-merge:
Linking PlayStation Network
- Navigate to Battle.net account connections page
- Select Connect PlayStation Account blue button
- Input your PSN email & password when prompted
- Double-check account accuracy & accept linking
Once connected properly, you‘ll see your PSN ID listed on the page alongside any other linked login methods.
Linking XBox Accounts
Repeat a similar process to tie together your Xbox credentials to Battle.net:
- Choose Connect Xbox Account option
- Enter Microsoft login email address
- Provide password & submit to verify identity
- Confirm account pairing to finalize
Now your Xbox gamertag will be visible as a linked method under your Battle.net account profile.
Linking Your Nintendo Profile
- Choose Connect Nintendo Account
- Sign in securely using your Nintendo logins
- Verify accuracy of account details
- Approve account connection
Once finished, your Nintendo ID will show connected within Battle.net account management beside your other platforms.
With PC, PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo accounts all successfully paired to a primary Battle.net ID, you‘ve fulfilled the prerequisites for consolidating Overwatch inventories when migrating to the Overwatch 2 ecosystem!
Important caution: Each gaming platform can only be connected to a single BNet ID ever. I learned this the hard way myself – so triple check to tag the CORRECT, most active Battle.net account you want to facilitate progression transfers before linking other logins. The connections cannot be undone afterward!
Executing Cross-Progression with Overwatch 2
Okay, gaming accounts paired up securely? Excellent! Now comes the actual full consolidation process…
I admit I was still paranoid that something would bug out, I‘d pick the wrong save data to maintain in the migration or that an ultra-rare skin on console wouldn‘t appear after.
But credit to Blizzard – the onboarding flow for importing old progression into Overwatch 2 was smooth, intuitive and clear about what would carry forward vs reset across platforms. Heres how it works:
The First Time Firing Up Overwatch 2
On all linked platforms – PC, PlayStation, Xbox or Switch – the first launch of Overwatch 2 will present the option to merge old Overwatch progress into this new game instance via Battle.net:
Initiate the Merge
Go ahead and select Merge Accounts. Again I was sweating bullets hoping years of skin collecting wouldn‘t disappear! But the process was painless.
Shortly after merging, I received an confirmation that progression was successfully consolidated across my PC, Xbox and Nintendo Switch Overwatch inventories – with select data like legacy credits reasonably reset intentionally.
Review Transfer Results
Upon getting back to the Overwatch 2 main menu, I immediately sprinted to view my hero gallery…and was overwhelmed with euphoric joy finding all my epic & legendary PC and console skins waiting for me!
I gorgeously goldenweapons intact, my rare league team skins proudly on display, cute Hamster emotes I forgot I even owned back in action – it was glorious!
I checked player icon, victory poses, highlight intros and more. Cross-progression absolutely nailed each cosmetic type carrying over correctly. My dedication converting to Overwatch 2 was fully respected by the merge functionality and still accessible on any connected platform.
For me, this guide‘s most crucial tip is: Take several minutes verifying your personal merge results before actually playing Overwatch 2 matches. Triple check that skins, competitive rank history and other account data brought over accurately from legacy ecosystems. That verification brings peace of mind that you‘ll never "lose" treasured unlocks in the ecosystem transition.
Note: As expected, legacy credits and competitive points did NOT survive consolidation. But the exclusive, effort-intensive skins you worked diligently to get remain gracefully in your catalog.
Crossplay & Security Best Practices
Beyond consolidating skins, cross-progression now finally enables myself and friends to play Overwatch together even though we game on different platforms!
Thanks to account linking and Battle.net sync, we have crossplay across PC, Xbox and Switch! Our friend group is happier than ever playing regularly with unified progression in Overwatch 2. No one left behind on legacy ecosystems anymore!
However I strictly urge players to enable two-factor authentication on ALL accounts linked to enable crossplay functionality after merging Overwatch progress.
Protect that now unified identity and inventory! If someone maliciously gained access to my Battle.net account for example, they could damage MMR rankings, cheat while linked to console accounts and potentially get your entire OW2 ecosystem banned outright!
Enable authenticator and SMS protection so no one can compromise years of beloved unlocks and competitive ranking records except you. I sleep much easier with 2FA activated, keeping my merged accounts and progression safely in my hands only as I excitedly grind the next prestige borders.
Stay secure, stay legendary! See you all out there in Overwatch 2 matches with our cherished skins in action! Let me know if this guide from a dedicated OW veteran assisted you with keeping your hard-earned unlocks consolidated while transitioning to Overwatch 2 as well!
