Overwatch 2andDiablo 4are set to be the next two titles from heavyweight developer Blizzard Entertainment. The studio’s most recent title was the originalOverwatch, which released back in 2016. It’s been almost a year since its sequel, as well as the sequel to the 2012 hitDiablo3, were announced, and fans are anxious for a release date.
Having two games in the pipeline at once, or three including themobile-onlyDiablo Immortal, is quite unusual for Blizzard. For the past few years, the studio has preferred to keep focus on its big, ongoing titles likeWorld of WarcraftandHearthstone. Now, with the one year anniversary of their reveals coming up, some fans are beginning to wonder: Which will come first,Overwatch 2orDiablo 4?
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Progress on Overwatch 2
Announced at Blizzconon November 1st 2019,Overwatch 2is the sequel to the hit 2016 FPS of the same name. Although it’s a standalone sequel, as opposed to an expansion,Overwatch 2will interact heavily with its predecessor. The two games will maintain a “shared multiplayer environment,: allowing their players to compete together. It will also allow players to retain all unlocked features and cosmetics in the new title.
In terms of content, the game will feature at least four new heroes, as well as new maps, modes, and co-op. These will all be played on an upgraded version of theoriginalOverwatchengine, allowing for larger maps. Ultimately, the idea is for the two games to merge into a single product in the future.
Despite the range of new features, it sounds likeOverwatch 2will not require as much developmentwork as a full standalone title. Engine upgrade aside, most of the new features could just have easily been packaged into expansions for the original title. As a result, it’s safe to assume thatOverwatch 2may not be spending as long in development as most standalones.
Progress on Diablo 4
Also announced at Blizzcon on November 1st 2019,Diablo 4is the latest title in the long-running series of action-RPGs. LikeOverwatch 2, it is yet to be given an official release date. However, unlike theOverwatchsequel,Diablo 4is unlikely to borrow any assetsfrom its predecessor.
Despite having aplayable demo at Blizzcon, it’s likely thatDiablo 4is at a much earlier point in its development cycle. Studios showing off alpha demos that bear little resemblance to the finished product is nothing new. With software advances, it’s becoming possible to release gameplay demos earlier and earlier into the development cycle.
Despite the fact that it’s hard to predict just how far alongDiablo 4is, it seems unlikely to be an early 2021 release. Blizzard is known for having games with long periods between first announcement and release, and there’s no reason to assumeDiablo 4will be any different. As anew, sprawling action-RPG title, it’s sure to require a larger than normal amount of development time.
Which Will Come First
Overall, it seems highly likely thatOverwatch 2will release beforeDiablo 4, as multiplayer shooters are a genre with a relatively quick turn around. In contrast, lengthy RPGs often require far more time to produce. To highlight why this is, we can look at voice-acting as a study. WhileOverwatch 2will require a handful of new barks for each of its new heroes,Diablo 4is certain to have hundreds of lines worth of spoken dialogue.
Despite the fact that they were announced at the same time, the titles are far from equal in the amount of development work they represent. AlthoughOverwatch 2at least may have originally been planned to release in 2020, before theCovid-19 pandemicknocked it back, it’s unlikely we’ll see either of the games before mid-2021.
