Overwatch is easily one of the most successful new IPs of the last decade, and so it's no surprise that hype is high for Overwatch 2. There once was a time when the Overwatch 2 release date was expected to be sometime in 2021, but those hopes have since been dashed thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic and behind the scenes turmoil. But while Overwatch 2 has no solid release date in sight, the game does appear to be making good progress.
In a recent shareholders meeting, Blizzard confirmed that Overwatch 2 development "passed an important internal milestone" recently. What exactly this milestone was remains to be seen, but it is a good sign that the game's development is progressing well and perhaps it means the long wait for the game is nearing its end. Blizzard developers are apparently nearing the "later stages of production," so maybe fans will finally get their hands on the hero-shooter sequel sometime next year.
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While the Overwatch 2 release date may not be until 2022 or later, fans shouldn't have to wait that long to learn more about the game and what exactly it's bringing to the table. It was teased that more on Overwatch 2 will be revealed "in the coming months," so it seems safe to say that fans will get their next look at the game before 2021 wraps up. However, with Blizzard currently embroiled in a serious gender discrimination lawsuit, it's hard to say when exactly that will be.
For the most part, Activision Blizzard has paused its social media presence and has avoided providing news updates on its various video game projects, Overwatch 2 being no exception. In fact, the Activision Blizzard lawsuit has also had a major impact on the original Overwatch game, with a new Deathmatch map seemingly pulled at the last minute in light of the lawsuit controversy.
The Malevento Deathmatch map was expected to be added to the Overwatch PTR last month with a full release on August 17. However, plans for the Overwatch Malevento Deathmatch map's release were scrapped and it still has yet to be officially announced at the time of this writing. With its original release date planned for August 17, however, it's possible that plans will change at some point in the near future.
In the meantime, there should be plenty of other new content for Overwatch fans to look forward to in the months ahead while they wait for Overwatch 2 news. The annual Overwatch Halloween Terror event will kick off in a couple of months, plus the Winter Wonderland event will almost assuredly be back to cap off the year as well.
Overwatch 2 is in development for PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.