Are Overwatch 2 And Diablo 4 Launching In 2021? Don't Get Your Hopes Up
If you were holding out hope for either Diablo 4 or Overwatch 2 releasing in 2021, then we unfortunately have some sour news for you. It looks like neither game is going to make it out the gate this year, with Activision-Blizzard reporting in a recent call with investors the launches of Diablo 4 and Overwatch 2 aren't being included in its outlook for 2021.
Both games have been in the works for quite some time, so does Activision-Blizzard's announcement that they likely won't see release in 2021 mean that they're coming in 2022? Unfortunately, the company didn't give any information beyond that, so we don't have a targeted release window for either game at the moment. You can read a transcript of the call over on Activision-Blizzard's investor site.
Overwatch 2 was first revealed at BlizzCon 2019 as something of a PvE-focused expansion to the original Overwatch. While Overwatch 2 will feature new heroes, competitive maps, and game modes, it seems that those playing the original Overwatch will still get access to all of those. The main selling point for Overwatch 2, then, will be its new co-op modes that flesh out the story beyond what we already know.Diablo 4 needs little introduction, as it's a long-awaited game in a massively popular action RPG franchise. While Blizzard may have taken a few missteps during the early days of Diablo 3, the company seems to want to bring the franchise back to its roots with Diablo 4. We haven't seen a ton from Diablo 4 just yet, suggesting that it's still some time off, but we might be getting some more Diablo 4 reveals at BlizzConline later this month.
As for Activision-Blizzard saying that its outlook for 2021 doesn't include the launches of Overwatch 2 or Diablo 4, we likely have the COVID-19 pandemic to thank for that, at least in part. The pandemic has upended the way developers and publishers work on their upcoming games, and it isn't hard to believe that it threw a wrench in Blizzard's plans for both title. We'll see what the company regarding these games later this month, so stay tuned for more.