Overwatch 2 missing 2021 draws concerned response from players

Brad Norton
Overwatch 2 gameplay

Following Blizzard’s confirmation that Overwatch 2 won’t be released in 2021, the community took to social media to share their mixed feelings on the matter.

During a February 4 earnings call, Activision Blizzard finally touched on Overwatch 2 for the first time in 15 months. However, the news wasn’t what many were hoping to hear. 

Despite recently passing a “major” internal milestone, the title is still quite far off. Blizzard President J. Allen Brack confirmed that a full release isn’t expected until 2022 “at the earliest.”

Naturally, this news exploded across the internet as Overwatch players have desperately been holding out for new content.

https://twitter.com/pixelpoyo/status/1357451335277318145

As with most video game delays, the majority of today’s reactions were filled with disappointment. It certainly wasn’t the positive development fans were hoping for.

“I think it might be a good time to bring one of the few heroes they plan to launch Overwatch 2 with to Overwatch 1,” ‘MattTheHuman’ suggested on Twitter.

If the sequel does in fact launch in 2022, that will have left a staggering gap between fresh content drops. It would be roughly 22 months since the last hero, and 33 months since the last map, assuming a January 2022 launch.

“This is a little much now,” Overwatch League commentator Mitch ‘Uber’ Leslie chimed in on Twitter. “I’m not f**king Ghandi.”

Others joked that the game might not see the light of day for a lot longer than most think. “Can’t wait to play Overwatch 2 on the PS6,” ‘friendzoneCEO’ joked.

Meanwhile, popular content creator ‘Skill Up’ approached the news with a more pragmatic response. “Personally, I think the last thing Blizzard needs is another botched or rushed release,” he explained. “Taking their time was what made [original] Blizzard great.”

Holding off until the game is just right could be a blessing in disguise for Blizzard. While fans are eager to get their hands on any new content, waiting to release a great game is always better than rushing out a mediocre game.

Even with the new release window, BlizzConline 2021 is right around the corner to potentially lift the lid on even more Overwatch 2 news. Here’s how you can tune in on February 19.