Activision Blizzard has announced that Overwatch 2 and Diablo IV are have been delayed. These two highly anticipated titles may not be out till 2023.
Both Overwatch 2 and Diablo IV were announced for release in 2022 during 2019 BlizzCon event. “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 IV than originally envisaged,” Activision Blizzard said Tuesday. “These are two of the most eagerly anticipated titles in the industry, and our teams have made great strides towards completion in recent quarters. But we believe giving the teams some extra time to complete production and continue growing their creative resources to support the titles after launch will ensure that these releases delight and engage their communities for many years into the future.”
In its delay announcement, Activision Blizzard cited working “with new leadership in Blizzard,” and within the Diablo and Overwatch franchises, as contributors to the delays. The original game director of Diablo IV and the lead designer exited the company in August amid the sexual misconduct and harassment lawsuit. Jeff Kaplan, one of the co-directors and the founder of Overwatch also left the company in April and was replaced by company veteran, Aaron Keller.
Overwatch fans are expected to get a first glimpse of the new 5v5 competitive build system with the Overwatch League, next spring.
In the wake of a California lawsuit against the company for sexual misconduct and harassment several company leaders have since stepped down. Blizzard co-leader Jen Oneal announced to the staff that she’s stepping down to ‘dive deeper into admirable causes’ of Women in Games International.
Emmen Gaming 