One of the largest gaming companies, Activision Blizzard, announced on Nov. 02, 2021, that their flagship titles Diablo 4 and Overwatch 2 have been delayed indefinitely. According to gaming journalists, this means we’ll have to wait at least until 2023 to get our hands on these much-awaited sequels.
The company has publicly shared an update stating that they’ve consulted with the new leadership and essential creative personnel before making this decision. The company believes that postponing the release date will help the development team deliver the best possible product.
This delay will give their team more time to finish production and expand their creative assets. It will also provide capabilities for improved post-launch support. Activision Blizzard is well aware that this move will affect their expected financial uplift for 2022, but it’s also a blow for all of us waiting anxiously in our gaming chairs for these games to be released.
This is not the first time these two games have been delayed, either. In February, the company’s executives have stated not to expect a Diablo 4 or Overwatch release in 2021. This information came from Activision Blizzard Q4 2020’s earnings call. Fans were expecting something in 2022, though, but that’s now looking unlikely, too.
The production of these games has suffered a string of departures of its senior staff after the California lawsuit regarding sexual discrimination and harassment within the company.
The latest departure happened in the first week of November 2021. On Tuesday the 2nd, the studio’s co-director Jen Oneal, announced that she’d be leaving the company at the end of the year. Former Overwatch director Jeff Kaplan announced his departure from the company in April, and the studio’s previous president, J. Allen Brack, left the company in August.
Considering the ongoing lawsuit that the company is currently facing, it’s little wonder that things look to be in complete disarray. We’ll likely have to wait until 2023 to see if all these internal problems will lead to disappointing sequels for two of the company’s three most beloved franchises.
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With a degree in humanities and a knack for the history of tech, Jovan was always interested in how technology shapes both us as human beings and our social landscapes. When he isn't binging on news and trying to predict the latest tech fads, you may find him trapped within the covers of a generic 80s cyberpunk thriller.
