Activision Blizzard today revealed in its quarterly earnings report that it would be delaying the release of Overwatch 2 and Diablo IV.
The company was not specific on exactly how long the games would be delayed, but neither game will be released in 2022. It simply said that the games would receive “a later launch … than originally envisaged.” The given reason is that the development teams require more time with the games in order to adequately support them after launch.
Activision Blizzard said in a statement: “These are two of the most eagerly anticipated titles in the industry, and our teams have made great strides towards completion in recent quarters. But we believe giving the teams some extra time to complete production and continue growing their creative resources to support the titles after launch will ensure that these releases delight and engage their communities for many years into the future.”
Mike Ybarra, in the earnings call, attributed part of the delays to the changes in leadership on both development teams. Chacko Sonny, the executive producer of the Overwatch series at Blizzard, and Luis Barriga, the director of Diablo IV, both left the company this year.
Diablo IV is part of Activision’s attempt to bring the franchise back to its glory days. Diablo Immortal is still on track to be released early next year. The Overwatch League will offer a preview of Overwatch 2 next year, running on an early build of the game’s new 5v5 mode.