An "Overwatch 2" update from the team at Activision Blizzard made assumed that a playable beta is finally going to happen soon-over three years since the game was first announced.
According to GamesRadar, the update was spotted by Twitter user Helba_The_AI via what looks like a post on a specific Discord server. It shows a screenshot of a tracking website where a so-called new dev version of "Overwatch" is available.
As per the alleged tracking website, the game's dev version was updated to version 2.0 on the Battle.net launcher last Feb. 3.
Here is the tweet from Helba_The_AI:
Security Alert Security alert Wo Wo #Overwatch #overwatch2 https://t.co/KGsj6HNoAk pic.twitter.com/XM1svlWkV8
— Helba (@Helba_The_AI) February 4, 2022
ScreenRant also reports that some analysts are already predicting a release window for the beta: March, with an announcement to be made during the next few weeks. A few different sources online seem to share the same news, with one source claiming that Activision Blizzard has met with some renowned "Overwatch" content creators on YouTube and asked them to sign NDAs.
Twitter user FireTheGull is another source who tweeted right at the end of January that the "Overwatch 2" beta is imminent, while also pointing out that Battle.net will be getting an update for the game with the suffix "_demo" in it:
OW2 Beta is very likely releasing / being announced in about 3 weeks. Router update for some game services like battle net included an update for overwatch with _demo in it, or something similar.
— Battletrap Stan | Fire (@BattletrapStan) January 31, 2022
Someone on the forums provided evidence as well.
Expect big news soon (imo)
All of this information, however, is just speculation at this point. Activision Blizzard hasn't posted any hints on the official social media channels pertaining to the announcement of a beta release. However, it seems like these rumors did come within the right time frame of another rumor, which said that Overwatch League would be running a version of "Overwatch 2" this year (via GamesRadar).
For now, it would be wise to take all of this information with a grain of salt until Activision Blizzard makes an official announcement.
'Overwatch 2' And Its Troubled Development Cycle
While still unconfirmed, all of the reports saying a beta is imminent is far better news than just another developmental delay for the game. Maybe that's why this "Overwatch 2" update is being lapped up by fans left and right.
For the unaware, the game has already faced multiple issues during the course of its development. Over three years after it was first revealed at BlizzCon 2019, the game still does not have a release date.
The last major delay was announced back in November of last year. According to a report by The Verge, "Overwatch 2" has been delayed alongside "Diablo IV," with no release date in sight. Most projections say that a full launch isn't due until next year.
According to Activision Blizzard, one of the main reasons was high voluntary employee turnover, likely due to the barrage of the workplace and sexual harassment allegations that have plagued the company recently. There's also the massive $68.7 billion deal that's going to bring ActiBlizz under Microsoft and Xbox (should it get approved), which will again play a factor in "Overwatch 2's" development.
This is a developing story.
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Story posted on GameNGuide
Written by RJ Pierce
