Overwatch 2 and Diablo IV Delayed Yet Again
Activision Blizzard is in the news again, this time for revealing yet another delay to the releases of Overwatch 2 and Diablo IV. Revealed in a third-quarter earnings call, this change will likely push the two titles back into the 2023 launch window. Though details on the delays are sparse, industry commentators have been quick to point to the companies’ recent departures, alongside reports of a lack of cohesive vision from management.
While delays are typical in some larger video games, there are other forms of interactive entertainment, like online casino games, where releases are reliable and common. So, why do these disparities exist, and why can online casino developers release dozens or hundreds of games a year, while Blizzard struggles with two over a much longer timeframe?
Direction and Complexity
On an exterior level, the most basic issues with the two new titles undoubtedly revolve around finding a fit for a multitude of different systems. As for why this is an issue, consider a relatively much simpler form of interactive entertainment, that of online casino gaming. On these services, major websites see new game additions like Lightning Blackjack and Dynamite Riches monthly. This is possible because the titles have an extremely directed vision, where the desired result is a known quantity. Though the themes and minutia can differ greatly, all of the base components are extremely well understood.
In Overwatch 2 and Diablo IV, the developers instead have to face a problem analogous to reinventing the wheel. Both competitive character-driven FPS and online RPGs are extremely developed genres, and they’re intensely expensive and time-consuming to make. For this reason, Activision Blizzard no doubt fears making a misstep in developing a game with ill-fitting parts. In casino games, players and developers already understand the core of what to aim for, so such a level of reinvention isn’t necessary.
As two of their best-performing series, Diablo and Overwatch are held to a much higher standard than games released by new or minor studios. Failure to mesh new and complicated systems means not only taking an enormous immediate financial hit but also damaging their already struggling reputation. In online casinos, even if a much simpler title fails, the developer and casino won’t take anywhere near the financial hit. Rather, they could simply learn from the mistake, and move forward without issue.
The Decline of a Titan
Ever since the release of Warcraft: Orcs & Humans in 1994, Blizzard Entertainment has been considered one of the industry’s best. This wasn’t just another company, it was a name responsible for transforming genres through talented directors and creative leads. Diablo, Hearthstone, StarCraft, World of Warcraft, and Overwatch, all these titles redefined what gaming could do, each earning a place as some of gaming’s most important and influential hits.
Over time, however, their formula became less inventive and more routine. As the creative forces who developed earlier titles left the company, put in their place were businessmen who lacked an understanding of what made their products great. In 2016, Overwatch would prove their last major hit, as the company continued to flounder.
With such poorly conceived efforts as the Diablo mobile game, and WoW expansions that failed to innovate, long time players began to leave in droves. Eventually, even WoW, their most profitable title, was overtaken by Final Fantasy 14, with new expansions failing to bring players back. Added to by a series of disastrous scandals, Blizzard underwent a long-needed managerial shakeup, but this could be a case of too little too late.
Online casino games, on the other hand, are only getting more popular. With the move to mobiles and better coding systems, the games are easier to play, faster to load, and more varied than ever. Seeing no downsides to the mobile move, casino games had an easier task, still seeing to this day.
Though there are undoubtedly many talented people still working at Blizzard, its future as an industry innovator remains in doubt. Overwatch 2 and Diablo IV are likely to sell extremely well on release, but their ability to maintain players long-term is far from assured. While we can only hope that the company returns to the leader it once was, fans seem justified in fearing it might have gone the direction of EA, as a shell of its former self.
At the same time, the CAGR of online casinos make the growth of their games and markets all but assured. Though we don’t expect Blizzard could lift wholesale the ideas this market has demonstrated, a little more emphasis on following the wants of their players as casinos have could prove a helpful direction.