Overwatch League’s 2022 season will not be affected by Overwatch 2’s delay, says industry insider

The public won’t be able to the play the game, but they will be able to watch it.

Image via Blizzard

Recommended Videos

The indefinite delay of Overwatch 2 will not affect how the upcoming Overwatch League season will be played, said Axios reporter Stephen Totilo on Twitter. Totilo stated that his source was Blizzard PR, which advised that eSports teams will still play on an early build of Overwatch 2 during the 2022 Overwatch League season.

Totilo noted an oddity in this practice: “Usually, publisher-backed esports are ads for games people can play. This will be one for a game they can’t (yet),” the reporter said.

I checked with Blizzard PR and they confirm that Overwatch League's 2022 season is still set to be played on an early build of Overwatch 2's 5v5 mode.

Usually, publisher-backed esports are ads for games people can play. This will be one for a game they can't (yet). Very odd
— Stephen Totilo (@stephentotilo) November 3, 2021

Replies to Totilo’s tweet observed both the positive and negative consequences that could arise from this decision. Some thought this could be a good way to draw more attention toward Overwatch League, but tech reporter Connor Smith hypothesized that scouting new talent for Overwatch League teams might be difficult due to Overwatch 2 not being widely available.

From a balance POV, gives devs plenty of data on OP mechanics before the game ships.

On the flip side, how do you scout OWL up and comers who play competitive on a way different build 🤷🏼‍♂️ https://t.co/JJzmi8mz9h
— Connor (@connorasmith_) November 3, 2021

Blizzard announced earlier this year that the upcoming Overwatch League season, which starts in April of next year, would be played on an early build of Overwatch 2 featuring the new 5v5 competitive format. Some took this as a sign that the game might be somewhat close to releasing, but those hopes were dashed when Blizzard announced yesterday that Overwatch 2 was delayed.

The delay raised some questions regarding the upcoming season, but Totilo seems to have added some clarity to the matter. Overwatch League has yet to comment on the delay, nor have they issued a public statement regarding the upcoming season.