Can you play Battle for Olympus with friends in Overwatch 2? Answered

Overwatch 2’s Battle for Olympus mode adds a new take on Deathmatch to the game. If you want to see the altered Ultimates and abilities in this time-exclusive mode, you will need to hop into the Arcade mode while it is active. However, some people are having issues playing with friends. Can you enter Battle for Olympus with friends in Overwatch 2?

Related: How to complete the Voice of Zeus challenge during Battle for Olympus in Overwatch 2

Can Battle for Olympus be played in a group in Overwatch 2?

Unfortunately, since Battle for Olympus is just a different take on the standard Deathmatch mode already in Overwatch 2, you can not enter it with anyone else in your party. It is merely a solo experience, and that stipulation is put in so players don’t jump into games with their friends and boost up each other’s scores. That being said, Overwatch 2 is much more enjoyable when playing with your friends, so if you have a group you play with, you will likely skip out on the event because you want to play with them.

All of this would be a little easier to take if Battle for Olympus was put into Custom Games, so you could create your own matches. Unfortunately, as of this writing, there is no way to play Battle for Olympus in custom matches, meaning the only way to access this new game mode is in the Arcade, where the solo queue is in effect.

Given that Battle for Olympus is a time-limited mode that is supposed to be fun, we would hope that Blizzard would patch in a quick fix that allows players to queue with friends or, at the very least, play the mode in Custom. If everyone is so worried about the integrity of a two-week-long mode that gives characters new powers, the latter option makes more sense.