Blizzard has announced that the company is now expecting a “later launch” for Overwatch 2 and Diablo IV. The reason given was that it became apparent that some of its content will benefit with more development time to “reach its full potential.”
Overwatch 2 and Diablo IV were officially announced by Blizzard in BlizzCon 2019. Neither game received an official release date, with some gameplay details for both games being revealed later on. Updated character designs for the cast of Overwatch 2 were revealed this past summer, while gameplay mechanics and the upgraded Rogue class for Diablo IV were revealed in BlizzConline in February.
These recent delays are the latest of a string of misfortunes within Activision Blizzard. The company was accused earlier this year of gender discrimination and rampant sexual harassment towards female employees. The California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) filed a lawsuit against the corporation for its poor workplace habits, and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) hit the company with a subpoenaed.
Several more high-profile employees either left or were forced out, including Blizzard President J. Allen Brack, who stepped down from his leadership in light of these controversies. Jen Oneal and Mike Ybarra took over as co-leads of the company soon after, but today Oneal also revealed she’s stepping down, leaving Ybarra as the sole lead of the company. Next year’s BlizzCon has also been canceled.
It’s not known if these recent controversies had anything to do with the delays for Overwatch 2 and Diablo IV, but since “new leadership” was mentioned in the message, the recent structural change within the company may have been a contribution.
