Overwatch 2 and Diablo 4 release dates slip beyond 2021
Neither Overwatch 2 nor Diablo 4 are coming at least until 2022
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
TheOverwatch 2andDiablo 4release dates have slipped beyond 2021, according to ActivisionBlizzardin its earnings call for the latest quarter. The game publisher had an otherwise strong quarterly report, dominated byCall of Duty.
The eagerly-anticipated Overwatch and Diablo sequels were formally announced at Blizzcon 2019 as follow-ups to games that had been released years earlier: the originalOverwatchcame out in 2016, while Diablo 3 first launched on PC in 2012.
Fans hoped both sequels were slated to come out in 2021, especially those who were still sore over the reveal of the mobile-only free-to-playDiablo Immortalin November 2018, which came before any news of Diablo 4.
To be fair, Blizzard hadn’t given proper release dates to either Diablo 4 or Overwatch 2, and didn’t reveal in the earnings call when they expect to release either game. The company did note that Overwatch 2 passed a major milestone in December, according to atweetby games industry analyst @DomsPlaying, but that’s no indication of how far it is along.
According to Niko Partners industry analyst Daniel Ahmad, though, Overwatch 2 could release in 2022:
Activision says Overwatch 2 and Diablo 4 will not launch this year. Sounds like Overwatch 2 will come in 2022.February 4, 2021
While there weren’t any hints about a Diablo 4 release in the earnings call, we are still expecting Diablo Immortal to launch sometime this year – and the call did note that a new Call of Duty game is slated to come out in late 2021, Ahmad noted in anothertweet.
Blizzcon 2021: what’s coming?
The news wasn’t all bad: during the quarterly earnings call, Activision Blizzard did mention that 2022 will have big launches like a new premium Call of Duty game, but will also include new remastered content the megastudio plans to unveil later this year, which Ahmadtweetedcould be a Diablo 2 remaster.
Get the best Black Friday deals direct to your inbox, plus news, reviews, and more.
Sign up to be the first to know about unmissable Black Friday deals on top tech, plus get all your favorite TechRadar content.
This news could be revealed at the online-onlyBlizzcon 2021, which is being held on February 19-20 – a sort of belated announcement event after Blizzcon 2020, slated for last November, was cancelled due to the coronavirus outbreak. Weknowwe’ll hear more about Overwatch 2 and Diablo 4 at the event, including achunky updateon the latter.
We’ll have to wait to see whether the show’s announcements will clarify either game’s release date.
David is now a mobile reporter at Cnet. Formerly Mobile Editor, US for TechRadar, he covered phones, tablets, and wearables. He still thinks the iPhone 4 is the best-looking smartphone ever made. He’s most interested in technology, gaming and culture – and where they overlap and change our lives. His current beat explores how our on-the-go existence is affected by new gadgets, carrier coverage expansions, and corporate strategy shifts.
The PS5 Pro’s PSSR upscaling gives multiple games a huge visual upgrade – can it compete with Nvidia’s DLSS 3 successor?
Best Dragon Age games in 2024 - every series entry ranked
Arcane season 2 finally gave us the huge Caitlyn and Vi moment we’ve been waiting for – and its creators say ‘we couldn’t have done it in season one’
