The California-based publisher revealed during its latest financial call that they’re not expecting either Overwatch 2 or Diablo IV to release during 2021. The Overwatch news came as the biggest surprise. Although expected this year, it now seems that the highly-anticipated title will come out in 2022. Industry analyst Daniel Ahmad had his finger on the pulse as usual, sharing the news via Twitter.
Activision says Overwatch 2 and Diablo 4 will not launch this year.
Sounds like Overwatch 2 will come in 2022.
— Daniel Ahmad (@ZhugeEX) February 4, 2021
The quote from CFO Dennis Durkin that led to the social media meltdown was the following: “Our outlook does not include Diablo IV or Overwatch 2 launching in 2021″. The company’s president Daniel Alegre further alluded to the lack of new entries from Blizzard this year:
We expect another strong year in 2021, driven by momentum and ongoing execution across our largest franchises… We are making significant progress against our development pipeline for our key intellectual properties, which we expect to fuel further growth in 2022 and beyond.
Ahmad continued to update his followers on key points throughout the call. In relation to Blizzard, it looks like the only game they will release in 2021 will be on mobile – Diablo Immortal. Mobile has become a critical aspect of the company’s business strategy, much to the disappointment of their hardcore fan-base.
Overwatch 2 was announced at BlizzCon 2019 with a gameplay trailer and numerous details. Unlike its predecessor, the game features PvE, as well as continuation of its immensely popular online PvP. The sequel is aiming to broaden the already massive player base by incorporating more narrative elements into its world.
Also revealed at the same event was Diablo IV, which is looking to return the series to its original roots. Diablo III came out in 2012, so this one’s been a long time coming. We expect to hear more about these two titles at BlizzConline, which is taking place between February 19-20.
