Overwatch Beta Returning In February With New Mode

It's been forty-odd days since the Overwatch [official site] closed beta went offline. Forty-odd days in the desert, is more like it. While Blizzard is off "addressing player feedback" and "adjusting the balance," we're all stuck playing games that have actually released. Boring.

And if you've been frothing at the mouth waiting for Overwatch's return, you'll have to tap your foot a bit longer: the FPS's beta won't be back until February. But there's good reason.

It feels a bit weird to discuss a game's beta missing its "launch date," but that is technically what's happened here. The Overwatch beta was originally supposed to relaunch sometime this month, but Blizzard made what they call an "easy decision" to push it back.

Why? Because they're also adding a new game mode and new maps to the mix. Overwatch's game director Jeff Kaplan explains:

"After looking through all of the feedback from last year, one of the things we noticed players consistently mentioning was their desire for more game modes in Overwatch, in addition to Point Capture and Payload. Without getting into specifics, we are working on a new game mode. And we’re very excited about it! And we have some great new maps to support it, too, but we need a little more time to get everything just right."

We'll keep you updated when we know more. In the meantime, if you'd like to read Philippa's exhaustive thoughts on the beta, head here.