Sometimes watching other people play intensive games like Overwatch 2 can be as enjoyable as playing yourself. While there is always the opportunity to watch the many livestreams of various players on Twitch and YouTube, they’re not always at the same level as you. With that in mind, you might want to watch your friends play. Here is how to spectate in Overwatch 2.
How to spectate matches in Overwatch 2
If you want to spectate your friends in Overwatch 2, they must be in an Unranked, Arcade, or Custom game. You can not spectate Competitive games. When your friend is in a match, go to Social on the main menu. Select your friend’s battle tag on your friend list and choose the Spectate option. Additionally, if you try to join their group but the game they are in is full, you will automatically be thrown into the spectator channel.
When spectating, you can swap between all players on your friend’s team and go between first and third-person perspectives. Unfortunately, once the match ends, you will be automatically returned to the menu, as your spectator status won’t automatically carry over into the next match. If you willingly chose to spectate, anyone leaving the game will not throw you into their spot. If you tried to join the group, though, you will join the game as a player automatically if someone leaves early.
If you join Custom matches, you can also spectate using the above methods, but there’s another method. In the pre-game lobby, choose Move at the top. Select yourself and move your name into the Spectator channel to start the match that way. By doing this method, you can swap between all players in the game, regardless of team.
