In 2019, Blizzard announced the shooter Overwatch 2 . Back then, hardly anyone understood it, says our author Schuhmann. And now it seems like a really bad idea, as part 1 has been stagnant since then and Overwatch 2 keeps getting pushed back.
This was the announcement back then: At BlizzCon 2019, Blizzard announced the shooter Overwatch 2. And the initial reaction was a collective: “Huh?”
Hardly anyone really understood what it was about back then:
Because Overwatch 2 looked somehow just like Overwatch only with “Now there are also PvE missions!” We at MeinMMO said back then: That sounds more like a DLC than a new game.
Well, Blizzard probably had to do something: In 2019, Overwatch had lost some of its early shine. In 2016 and 2017, Overwatch still celebrated enormous success. The shooter could repeatedly captivate with new heroes and stories. It maintained the interest of the gaming community for years, but in 2018, Fortnite drew much attention away from Overwatch.
Something had to happen with Overwatch in 2019 – but part 2?
What made the announcement difficult back then? It was not clear what Overwatch 2 was supposed to bring. There was no push behind it, indicating that Blizzard fans were wishing for a “New Overwatch”.
While other franchises from Blizzard had aged and urgently needed replenishment, like Diablo or StarCraft, Overwatch was only 3 years old at that time and had strong years behind it.
Moreover, Overwatch was supposed to function as an eSports title and be continuously developed. A part 2 just felt odd.
Overwatch has been almost stagnant since 2019
What has happened in Overwatch since then? Almost nothing. A Twitter user summarizes it harshly:
While comparable games have been rapidly developed over the past 2 years, almost nothing has happened with Overwatch. Meanwhile, from 2016 to 2018, the game was a cash cow for Blizzard with flowing revenue sources from skins, with regular highlight updates that brought new heroes, and an eSports league where expensive places were sold.
The eSports league has lost much of its shine during the Corona period. They had conflicts with the casters and lost some of the key players to the new competitor Valorant.
On one hand, it sounds as if Overwatch is still uncertain for 2023 and they are aiming more for 2024. But it could also mean that 2022 is not entirely off the table. The situation is indeed uncertain.
An eSports title in maintenance mode
This is the current state: It is a strange development at Blizzard. They have actually halted the development of a well-running game without much reason, promising to bring out the same game with some changes again.
The timing of when this second game is coming keeps getting pushed back, while the original game gradually crumbles and loses relevance.
Blizzard has invested a lot of time and energy into Overwatch to build a community that is passionate about the heroes and wanted to create an eSports title out of Overwatch that has world-class quality. But since 2019, it seems that Overwatch is only running in maintenance mode – and Overwatch 2 appears to be just as far away as it was 2 years ago.
The announcement to delay Overwatch 2 was not well received by Activision Blizzard investors:
Wow, CoD: Activision Blizzard makes $1.2 billion in cash shop in 3 months – stock fell by 13%
Furthermore, the icon of Overwatch, Papa Jeff Kaplan, is now an “ex-Blizzard” developer.
Overwatch developers contradict 2023 as the official release date
And what about Overwatch 2? Also almost nothing. That’s the frustrating part. Since BlizzCon 2019, little has been heard about Overwatch 2.
The last news was that the game would not be released in 2022, as originally planned.
When some concluded that it would be released in 2023, the team gave a harsh blow: No one had ever said that. There is no longer an official release date (via blizzard-forums).
On one hand, it sounds as if Overwatch is still uncertain for 2023 and they are aiming more for 2024. But it could also mean that 2022 is not entirely off the table. The situation is indeed uncertain.
An eSports title in maintenance mode
This is the current state: It is a strange development at Blizzard. They have actually halted the development of a well-running game without much reason, promising to bring out the same game with some changes again.
The timing of when this second game is coming keeps getting pushed back, while the original game gradually crumbles and loses relevance.
Blizzard has invested a lot of time and energy into Overwatch to build a community that is passionate about the heroes and wanted to create an eSports title out of Overwatch that has world-class quality. But since 2019, it seems that Overwatch is only running in maintenance mode – and Overwatch 2 appears to be just as far away as it was 2 years ago.
The announcement to delay Overwatch 2 was not well received by Activision Blizzard investors:
Wow, CoD: Activision Blizzard makes $1.2 billion in cash shop in 3 months – stock fell by 13%
