There is no doubt that the original Overwatch was a massive success, and understandably, its sequel is one of the most highly anticipated games in recent memory. Unfortunately, a reliable leaker for the series has just claimed that the release date for Overwatch 2 may be further away than fans had realized.
Overwatch 2 is not a traditional sequel, and will be more focused on PVE missions and co-op gameplay. It features a full co-op story arc, as well as Hero Missions that are designed to be highly repayable. Overwatch 2 will still have a PVP component in which two teams of five will compete against each other. Blizzard had previously announced that new class restrictions will be present in PVP, as each team will have to be composed of one tank, two DPS, and two support characters. It has also been confirmed that Overwatch players will be able to play with Overwatch 2 players in PVP.
The Twitter user, going by the handle of @Metro_OW, states that the development process for Overwatch 2 is taking longer than expect. As a result, it does not seem likely that it will release next year. Metro hopes that this news is false so that everyone can enjoy the game in 2022. This rumor comes from a trustworthy source, as Metro had correctly leaked the new hero Ashe for the original game, as well as important details regarding Overwatch 2 before its announcement at BlizzCon 2019. In a follow up tweet, Metro says that this might result in a massive decline in the active player base for Overwatch, as it cannot sustain the audience for another year and a half without major updates.
This news comes as a bit of a surprise, as Blizzard had recently confirmed that Overwatch 2 had passed an important development milestone. Blizzard also mentioned that it will be revealing more information about the game in the coming months. While it does seem like development is progressing well, the latest tweet by Metro signifies that the team may not be able to deliver the product on time. If this leak turns out to be correct, it seems reasonable to expect Overwatch 2 to release in early 2023.
While the exact reason for this rumored delay is not clear, the impact of Covid-19 on game development cannot be understated. A lot of games from 2021 have been delayed to next year, with a Horizon Forbidden West delay also being rumored. On top of this, the Activision Blizzard lawsuit could have also made an impact of some kind. Regardless of the reasoning, it's still surprising that Overwatch 2 may not even release in 2022, as the game was announced back in 2019.
Overwatch 2 is currently in development for PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.