Overwatch Easter Egg reveals time period for when Overwatch 2 is set

An Overwatch 2 player has discovered an easter egg on Paraiso that may confirm when the game is actually set.

It’s no secret that Overwatch 2 takes place sometime in the near future. From the flying cars in Midtown, New York to the cybernetically enhanced soldier running rampant, it’s pretty obvious the Overwatch sequel takes place well ahead of current times.

According to lore, it’s agreed that the events in the original Overwatch happened sometime in the mid-2070s, about 30 years after the Omnic Crisis. Now in Overwatch 2, it appears that we may have gotten a few more clues as to when the sequel is set.

Players have been trying to track down the exact year and date that Overwatch 2 takes place since the game launched, and a keen-eyed Redditor may have discovered just that.

I’ve found a way to discover when overwatch 2 takes place. In Paraíso, there’s this Sinestesia club poster that says “Friday, may 14th”. We know OW takes place around the 2070s. I’ve searched up the calendars and the only year that may 14th falls on a Friday is 2077 or 2088.
byu/John_is_a_fool inOverwatch

Whilst on the map of Paraiso, a player was able to spot a poster about club Sinestia that states Friday, May 14th. The player went full detective mode and was able to calculate that the only years that May 14th lands on a Friday are either 2077 or 2078. This lines up well with the original Overwatch taking place in the mid-2070s.

With the events of Overwatch 2 taking place one year after the Recall animation, it can then be concluded that the original Overwatch took place in either 2076 or 2077.

It’s possible we’ll be able to learn more and more about the exact dates of Overwatch 2 with the PvE content still on the way. The new maps and events that take place in the mode may give us a better understanding of when exactly Overwatch 2 occurred and help ground players in the events of the universe as they take place.