Overwatch is one of the biggest releases of the past five years, impactful in its creation of the esports Overwatch League, its loot boxes, and the renewed popularity of arena shooters. It’s somewhat surprising that Blizzard is moving so quickly toward the release of Overwatch 2, but only because Overwatch is still popular. Yet the quick move toward a sequel makes all the more sense if a new rumor that Overwatch Mobile is also in the works winds up being true.
The rumor comes from Dexerto editor Richard Lewis, who doesn’t provide any sources but says they have “good authority” to believe it. Lewis said prior to the pandemic, Blizzard was tentatively planning to launch Overwatch 2 at the same time as Overwatch Mobile. The goal, according to Lewis, was to announce Overwatch Mobile in the lead-up to Overwatch 2‘s launch, presumably so both games could build off each others’ hype.
Lewis says this was tentatively Blizzard’s plan ahead of the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to massive shifts in game development across the industry. Lewis’ insinuation is that Blizzard may have changed its plans following the implementation of work-from-home policies. The transition, as well as the lost development efficiency, could have led Blizzard to instead shift its resources toward a different project. Alternatively, the mobile game project may have simply been delayed.
As for how realistic this rumor is, it doesn’t come across as absurd. Mobile versions of popular online multiplayer shooters are widespread and successful. Whether it’s Fortnite, Apex Legends, or even PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, which has a second mobile game coming out in the near future, mobile versions of shooters can often become more popular than their original counterparts. Thus it wouldn’t be surprising if Blizzard wanted to follow suit, nor if it wanted Overwatch Mobile to launch alongside Overwatch 2.
Some Blizzard fans may also recall that Blizzard explicitly said it wanted mobile versions of all its major game franchises in 2018. The ongoing development of Diablo Immortal is evidence that Blizzard is moving forward with that plan to a degree.
It may be some time before this rumor gets confirmed or debunked. Overwatch 2 remains without a release date, as Blizzard isn’t even willing to say 2022 with any certainty. It’s possible that Overwatch Mobile, if it exists, could be announced at the next BlizzCon, or perhaps after. Like with Overwatch 2, fans will just have to be patient for more information.
Overwatch Mobile is rumored to be in development.
Source: Dexerto
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