We know it goes without saying, but the Overwatch 2 release date is fast approaching – but, what if it’s not quite fast enough? For those of you looking to get your hands on Overwatch 2 again before launch, you’ll be saddened to know that Blizzard has confirmed that there will not be a third public beta test to participate in. While this is a shame for a lot of us, it’s a decision that could prove devastating for professional Overwatch players looking to adjust to the drastic gameplay changes for tournaments like the Overwatch League (OWL).
On August 4, Overwatch commercial leader and former head of the OWL Jon Spector took to Twitter to share the news that there would not be a third public beta test with fans.
As you can see below, it’s not a particularly special announcement – it just confirms that players will have to wait if they want to go hands-on with Overwatch 2 again. However, the implications it has are quite far-reaching.
“We know players are eager to dive in and [I] have seen questions about the possibility of a third public Beta”, Spector begins. “While we will continue testing [Overwatch 2] daily internally, we’re not planning any additional public Beta tests. With all the valuable feedback we received from our alpha and [two] public beta tests, we will be focusing our efforts on launching the best game possible”.
Commenting on this announcement, Houston Outlaws player Dante ‘Danteh’ Cruz has expressed concern that this could quite literally be “career ending” for a lot of pro players.
“Teams that don’t make play-offs won’t even have a chance to practice the game outside of scrims”, Danteh explains, alongside the fact that “benched players can’t practice the game at all – while other players get ahead”. With all this in mind, Danteh has claimed that this is “literally career ending” with a chilling “unlucky” to those affected. Clearly, he’s confident that this decision won’t impact his career.
Outside of Danteh’s thoughts, the wider Overwatch 2 community are disappointed by the decision – particularly those looking to try out ‘actual’ Support role changes ahead of release. However, they’re also accepting of the fact that there isn’t going to be another beta testing period – because Overwatch 2 fans are somewhat used to disappointment after years of poor communication from Blizzard.
Still, it’s not all bad for Overwatch 2 fans. The Overwatch 2 devs confirm that more “deranged specific” hidden voice lines will be scattered throughout the free-to-play shooter – and there’s going to be a steady flow of new Overwatch 2 heroes coming in post-launch seasonal updates.
It looks like Overwatch 2 is going to be here to stay. Whether a lot of the pro players vying for a position in a starting line up will be in another question. Only time will tell.
