Overwatch 2 Fans Just Got Terrible News
"Overwatch" and "Diablo" are two incredibly popular series created by Activision Blizzard, both of which have highly anticipated sequels in the works, and although no official dates have been provides as of yet and because of this, fans of both series have been waiting with bated breath for any word of when they might finally get to lay hands on these games. It seems they're going to have to wait a little longer than they might have thought, however.
Activision Blizzard just released its third quarter earnings report, which has a slide titled "Update on Our Pipeline." This revealed that "Overwatch 2" and "Diablo 4" are both behind schedule and that they will not be able to meet the goals initially set by the company.
Activision Blizzard has been having a rough year, to say the least. Lawsuits keep piling up as the company faces numerous sexual harassment charges and allegations of toxic workplace conditions that have led to a staggering number of employees protesting the company. With employees walking out, executives leaving the company, and BlizzCon being cancelled in the wake of controversy, it may not come as much of a surprise that the company's production schedule isn't exactly on track.
Even so, with teases of the overhauled multiplayer in "Overwatch 2" and a name change for the beloved character McCree recently making waves, fans were hoping to see that particular sequel making its debut sooner rather than later. So, what exactly did Activision Blizzard say regarding the delays?
Here's why Overwatch 2 and Diablo 4 were delayed
Activision Blizzard's earnings report states that "it has become apparent that some of the Blizzard content planned for next year will benefit from more development time to reach its full potential." The report continues, "While we are still planning to deliver a substantial amount of content from Blizzard next year, we are now planning for a later launch for 'Overwatch 2' and 'Diablo 4' than originally envisaged."
The report itself doesn't have much information regarding specific issues with the two games to why the games were delayed, but a recent Tweet from Bloomberg gaming journalist Jason Schreier seems to indicate that the delay is related to changes within the company. "On Activision Blizzard earnings call, Blizzard boss Mike Ybarra says that 'Overwatch 2' and 'Diablo 4' were delayed largely due to changes in leadership on both teams," says Schreier. "[Overwatch 2's] executive producer left by choice; [Diablo 4's] director was seemingly ousted after the misconduct lawsuit."
It's hard to say for sure how far back these delays have pushed each title — especially since a previous report indicated the games were in similar shape earlier this year — but a 2022 release seems unlikely for either at this point, especially since a solid release date hasn't been on the table up until now.