Overwatch 2 Will Likely Have An Open Beta

BlizzCon has arrived and with it comes all sorts of new announcement from Blizzard about every game the developer is prepared to unveil including new information on Overwatch 2. In fact, players might be in store for a familiar experience to the first Overwatch with the release window possibly including several previews and some sort of open beta down the line.

This comes from a recent interview conducted by IGN with Blizzard Vice President and Overwatch 2 Director Jeff Kaplan, who commented on the likelihood of players getting a hands on experience with the upcoming title. Plans don't seem to be set in stone, but Kaplan was seemingly optimistic about the possibility of running the types of network tests that give fans an early chance at playing the game.

According to Kaplan, the process will likely be more under wraps while Overwatch 2 remains in early stages of development, where it will then move into alpha testing internally. From there, the director mentions that it is more than likely that the game will move into some sort of closed beta in order to put public eyes on the upcoming sequel prior to release. Kaplan did make a point to say that while there is no plan for an open beta at the moment, that it is more than likely going to happen once the game is further along in development.

Given that there was an open beta for the first game, and Overwatch has sporadic free to play periods, Blizzard is clearly aware that giving players the chance to demo a game like this can be a great marketing tactic. On top of giving players an early look at the game, this type of transparency, which Kaplan also commented on being a goal, can do a lot to ease whatever ill-will a player base might have for an extended development timeline. So, while it isn't entirely confirmed, the chances of players getting an early period to try out the game and help with network tests seem to be fairly high.

Even the optimism about the closed beta is something for fans to be excited for, as those often go out to players who pre-order or those who have otherwise put a lot of time into the original. In that case, the players most excited to see Overwatch 2's new maps and updated heroes will likely get an even earlier view of the game. It might still be quite some time until either the closed or open beta are even announced, let alone conducted, but Blizzard's commitment to transparency comes as welcome news for the upcoming sequel.

Unfortunately, it seems like Activision Blizzard may not have the most exciting year ahead of it for new releases, at least as far as Overwatch 2 and Diablo 4 are concerned. Though fans are extremely eager to see what Activision Blizzard has in store for its hero shooter sequel, it seems like Overwatch 2 is still far from release.

The news comes straight from Activision Blizzard, but was relayed by games journalist and Game Awards host Geoff Keighley. Keighley relayed the information on Twitter, saying that during an earnings call Activision Blizzard said that the company "does not expect" Overwatch 2 and Diablo 4 to release in 2021.