Diablo 4 and Overwatch 2 delayed, Jen Oneal leaves Blizzard

Source: Blizzard Entertainment

Activision Blizzard shared its Q3 2021 financial results on Tuesday. Alongside the financial results came the news that two major upcoming titles from Blizzard Entertainment, action role-playing game Diablo 4 and hero shooter Overwatch 2, are both being delayed further than originally planned. This decision was made in order to give extra time for development and “…continue growing their creative resources.”

Additionally, former Vicarious Visions head Jen Oneal is leaving Blizzard Entertainment at the end of 2021, with the company is now being led solely by Mike Ybarra. Oneal was promoted to co-lead Blizzard Entertainment following the departure of J. Allen Brack earlier in 2021 as a result of the ongoing lawsuit against Activision Blizzard. Oneal stated in a separate post that she’s leaving Blizzard Entertainment to try and have a “broader industry impact” on diversity in the gaming industry.

Ybarra added during the accompanying conference call that part of the reason Diablo 4 and Overwatch 2 are being delayed is because of leadership changes on the development teams. Vicarious Visions was moved under Blizzard Entertainment earlier in 2021. The company is also reportedly being renamed, though Blizzard has not confirmed this report.

Activision Blizzard’s next major game launch is Call of Duty: Vanguard, which is set to launch on Nov. 5, 2021.

CEO Bobby Kotick noted during the call that “I want Activision Blizzard to be the leader in this country for workplace culture” while again admitting that the company should’ve done “a better job.”

Activision Blizzard reported net bookings of $1.88 billion for the quarter, beating expectations, as compared to $1.77 billion in Q3 2020.