When will Overwatch 2 be released? That is the question many fans of the original worldwide have wanted answers to since the announcement that the sequel was in development at BlizzCon last year. Is there anything officially set in stone regarding a release date? Unfortunately not.
However, despite expectations being speculative at best, some recent leaks — particularly from streamer Metro — and circulating theories lean toward an early 2021 release date.
Rumors
Announcing that Overwatch 2 was in development so early was likely a matter of getting its name out there, indicating there was something more coming from the developer. When the player base would get to play with the fruits of that labor was left unanswered. Many rumors have popped up since, including one at the start of 2020 that Overwatch 2 would release this year, but as the year winds down, that's clearly not true.
Overwatch 2 Game Director Jeff Kaplan has hinted that there was no estimated time for a release date, nor a window of time that it might fall in. But then said that there would be likely be some information revealed at BlizzCon 2021 — now BlizzConline, an online event due to the global pandemic. Chances are, if Overwatch 2 is releasing next year as indicated, then fans will likely know then.
It is pretty iffy for Kaplan to drop the line that there is no schedule at all for the release and then also have a sense of when he could discuss updates. The plot thickened earlier this month when Twitch streamer Metro took to Twitter to share some pretty huge news about the Overwatch 2 release, if true:
"Very likely" is not by any means an absolute. However, this is the arguably the most pointed speculation circulating at the moment. Metro's track record for accuracy is pretty good — he predicted (read: leaked) both Ashe as a new hero and that Overwatch 2 was coming before the official announcement at last year's BlizzCon.
Metro assumed a confidence level of "95 percent" that either the full release or beta — which includes new multiplayer maps in Overwatch 2 and more player versus environment (PvE) story missions — would be released in the first quarter of 2021. This is impressive, admittedly, due to potential impacts the global pandemic may have had on Blizzard's release schedule.
Not Rumors
Overwatch 2 does not spell the end for original Overwatch. The two will work hand-in-hand so that any progress a player has made in the original game can transfer seamlessly to the sequel. This includes progress, skins, etc.
The robot hero Echo was seen in the cinematic trailer for Overwatch 2 and could potentially be a hero that can remain airborne with less restrictions than other heroes who could take flight like Pharrah. Additionally, Kaplan has officially confirmed the first black female hero — Sojourn — will be playable. Aside from the new heroes, the mainstay heroes will be getting some refined graphics work done to up the visual aspect of the game. If the Overwatch 2 cinematic trailer is anything to go by, then fans may be in for a real treat.
Maps will be substantially larger in Overwatch 2 and the TED engine will open the gates for the developer to add more interactive pieces throughout, including animations, sounds, scripts, level crafting, and more. The locations of the four new maps that have been confirmed are Toronto, Canada; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Gothenburg, Sweden; and Monte Carlo, Monaco.
Forward to 2021
Rumors of the release will likely remain as such until at least February, but if Metro's track record stays consistent, then prepare to transfer progress into Overwatch 2 in the first quarter of 2021. Blizzard has been steadfast in not giving away any additional information, but with the Xbox Series X and PS5 coming out not long before Metro's predicted release window, it makes sense that Blizzard would want to capitalize on the hype. Especially if it confirms that next-gen ports, upgrade, or releases are happening.
Overwatch 2 is in development for PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.