Though the post-season will get underway this weekend, league officers are already planning for subsequent yr. OWL vice-president Jon Spector that the present plan is to kick off the 2022 season in April, however there’s an fascinating wrinkle, as first reported. As issues stand, the subsequent season will begin on an early model of , the long-awaited sequel to the present sport.

“The plan right now is for the Overwatch League’s 2022 season to begin on an early build of Overwatch 2,” an Overwatch League spokesperson informed Engadget. “We’ll have more details to share about our 2022 season as we get closer to the planned start date in April of next year.”

Recent reviews the subsequent OWL season won’t begin till fall 2022, amid Overwatch 2 launch date uncertainty. However, reported this week that Blizzard is focusing on a Q2 launch window — in different phrases, across the time the subsequent OWL season begins, or quickly after. In February, Activision Blizzard mentioned it was Overwatch 2 or Diablo 4 this yr.

The arrival of Overwatch 2, which Blizzard introduced at BlizzCon 2019, will spell enormous adjustments for the esport, and the Overwatch scene as a complete. All of the participant vs. participant updates will probably be mirrored within the present sport (OW2 can have a giant concentrate on co-op story missions too). 

The sequel will herald new modes and maps, a contemporary sport engine, extra characters, and, most importantly, , with either side fielding one tank as a substitute of the present two. That’ll probably have an effect on Overwatch League rosters for subsequent season and past, with fewer spots out there for tank gamers.

Moving OWL to Overwatch 2 on this vogue has its execs and cons, particularly given that it will be an early construct. If the most recent launch timeline reviews are correct, although, the sport will probably be nearly prepared for public consumption by that time, so there hopefully will not be many bugs. What’s extra, OWL gamers will wish to follow on public servers as a lot as doable, so there is perhaps an Overwatch 2 beta, on the very least, by April.

Plans might change and OWL may stick to the present model of Overwatch if there are any important improvement hurdles. However, if Blizzard can get the early construct prepared in time, the subsequent Overwatch League season might give the writer an awesome alternative to point out off Overwatch 2 to followers earlier than the sport ultimately arrives.