Overwatch 2 and Diablo 4 are set to be the next two titles from heavyweight developer Blizzard Entertainment. The studio’s most recent title was the original Overwatch, which released back in 2016. It’s been almost a year since its sequel, as well as the sequel to the 2012 hit Diablo 3, were announced, and fans are anxious for a release date.
Having two games in the pipeline at once, or three including the mobile-only Diablo Immortal, is quite unusual for Blizzard. For the past few years, the studio has preferred to keep focus on its big, ongoing titles like World of Warcraft and Hearthstone. Now, with the one year anniversary of their reveals coming up, some fans are beginning to wonder: Which will come first, Overwatch 2 or Diablo 4?
Announced at Blizzcon on November 1st 2019, Overwatch 2 is the sequel to the hit 2016 FPS of the same name. Although it’s a standalone sequel, as opposed to an expansion, Overwatch 2 will 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 the original Overwatch engine, 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 like Overwatch 2 will not require as much development work 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 that Overwatch 2 may not be spending as long in development as most standalones.
Also announced at Blizzcon on November 1st 2019, Diablo 4 is the latest title in the long-running series of action-RPGs. Like Overwatch 2, it is yet to be given an official release date. However, unlike the Overwatch sequel, Diablo 4 is unlikely to borrow any assets from its predecessor.
Despite having a playable demo at Blizzcon, it’s likely that Diablo 4 is 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 along Diablo 4 is, 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 assume Diablo 4 will be any different. As a new, sprawling action-RPG title, it’s sure to require a larger than normal amount of development time.
Overall, it seems highly likely that Overwatch 2 will release before Diablo 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. While Overwatch 2 will require a handful of new barks for each of its new heroes, Diablo 4 is 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. Although Overwatch 2 at least may have originally been planned to release in 2020, before the Covid-19 pandemic knocked it back, it’s unlikely we’ll see either of the games before mid-2021.
Overwatch 2 and Diablo 4 are in development.
![\"IT電腦補習](\"http://itteacheritfreelance.hk/test/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/logo2-2.png\"){kind=logo}
www.itsec.hk
www.itsec.vip
www.itseceu.uk
Leave a Reply