Overwatch 2 Release Date UPDATE – Partial Release Set For OWL Start?
One of the biggest quests for fans of the original game this year has been to try and discover when the Overwatch 2 release date will be. After being previewed at the BlizzCon 2019 event many fans and players of the original Overwatch assumed that the new and updated sequel to the original would follow later in 2020.
However, despite a number of different rumours surfacing at different times over the last couple of years, some even claiming inside knowledge on a potential Overwatch 2 release date, those rumours have always proven to be false.
Well, now we seem to have more concrete news as with the fifth season of the Overwatch League (OWL) set to start in San Antonio, Texas on May 6th at the new Tech Port Arena, it appears that fans and players will get their first opportunity to see Overwatch 2 in action.
Or at least a part of it.
With the clamour for the new game high after a number of false starts and delays caused by internal issues at Activision Blizzard, the $30 tickets for the event are expected to sell very quickly indeed.
Closed Beta Mode To Be Used In Battle For Texas
While it is big news that Overwatch 2 will see the light of day in May at the Battle For Texas as the event has become known, it will not be the full game that is being showcased.
Instead, a community update from Activision Blizzard revealed that they are currently working on two separate halves of the full Overwatch 2 game. The first is a PVP game that is set for a closed beta release on 26th April 2022 but on PC only. This is the part of the game that will be used by the teams in May.
However, there is also an extensive non-competitive mode being developed for Overwatch 2, which will likely be released much later, if not made available when the game finally hits stores. Unfortunately for fans seeking a firm date for the release of the complete Overwatch 2, it appears that the best prediction available for a release date is some time in 2023.
However, at least in April and May, fans will end two frustrating years of waiting to finally get a chance to see at least the PVP part of the second instalment of the popular Overwatch series of games.
We'll keep you posted once official sources will confirm the actual release date.
Preview of the Game
Until now, with no official release date set, other than a vague 2023 release, the only glimpse fans of the game have had of what Overwatch 2 may look like was when Blizzard released a promotional video showcasing different elements of the game back in 2020.
This included a look at the new graphics and design of the sequel, information on seven new characters, a look at some of the different map types available in the game, and a selection of what Blizzard called “ever-evolving multiplayer” options.
One of the most impressive aspects of the newly released video was the fact that it also contained a cinematic video that explored the entirety of the Overwatch story. Taking us through the events in Overwatch and then on the timeline from the original story, through to what has happened up to the events that occur in Overwatch 2.
Fans have been excited about the new game since this video and since it was also revealed that Overwatch players would be able to play alongside Overwatch 2 players in PVP multiplier matches, as well as being able to access the new heroes and maps in Overwatch 2 in the original game.
Loot collections and accomplishments that players have earned from the first game will also be carried forward into the second.
It’s little wonder that fans have now been waiting over two years for an official Overwatch 2 release date from Blizzard and that wait still goes on. However, the chance to see at least part of the game, even if it is a beta edition, being played on May, does offer hope that the 2023 release date may prove to be correct.
Metro Not On Time With Predicted February 2021 Release Date
It’s little wonder that Overwatch 2 fans have been so frustrated waiting for confirmation of an official release date. Back in 2020, PlayStation Brazil sent out a Tweet, which it later deleted, which suggested a 2020 release date for the game.
That date came and went and then another Tweet appeared from a poster called Metro, supposedly one of the most reliable leakers of game release dates on Twitter, stated that a release date of February 2021 had been set.
The feeling was that the release would coincide with Blizzconline which took place on 19th-20th February 2021, and that Overwatch 2 would be released then, with the Overwatch League delated until April to allow the league to start using the sequel to the original.
Of course, that didn’t happen. And as you can see in the final part of the original article below, we did state that these rumours could prove to be nothing more than precisely that.
The Situation From Blizzcon 2021 To Now
Fans hoping for a release date at Blizzconline in February 2021 did not get their wish but they did at least get to see some fresh gameplay from the game, as well as a behind the scenes video which showcased aspects of the game development.
Activision Blizzard then announced that they didn’t expect the game to come out in 2021 and 2022 passed without any further development, and with the many issues at Activision Blizzard regarding its toxic workplace and issues with CEO Bobby Kotelnik, a release date seemed to be the last thing on the company’s mind as stock value plummeted.
However, with news that the release of the PVP Beta version will be released on PC at least on April 26 (though you will need an original copy of Overwatch to play) there is at least signs that fans long wait for the sequel.
And when we have news on when that elusive release date is confirmed, we will bring it to you right here.
Since: August 10, 2015
