Blizzard announced that you’ll have to wait until February for the Overwatch closed beta to return in all its glory… with a few added modes. The highly anticipated first person shooter, MOBA-like game will keep fans waiting just a little while longer. However, it seems Blizzard has a good reason for its delay.

Overwatch has easily become one of the most highly anticipated games of 2016 since its announcement. Fans of Blizzard know of their incredible success with other online multiplayer games such as Dota 2 or Starcraft, so the bar is set high. The upcoming game, however, shows a bit of a twist from what we have gotten used to from the company. It’s interesting, it’s new, and certainly exciting.

Extended from January to mid-February

Many lucky fans have been fortunate enough to join the Overwatch closed beta back in October last year. It allowed them to get taste of the game, and it’s been mostly praised by the community. However, in December, the servers went offline for an “extended break” during the holidays and it was announced that it would return in January. That is no longer the case, and the wait will have to be stretched out a bit longer.

New modes, new maps

According to game director, Jeff Kaplan, the closed beta will be pushed back until mid-February of 2016, though Blizzard promises improvements. Along with the understandable tweaks and polishes, the game will arrive with additional gameplay modes. This will add more ways for the players to enjoy Overwatch, beyond Point Capture and Payload.

Players consistently requested it, so Blizzard listened to their feedback, according to Kaplan. In addition, there will be several more maps included that have not yet been explored. And all will be in the interest of keeping players hooked, introducing them to the game modes, and providing a perfect experience without too many issues. It should be noted that the game will still be in beta, so problems are expected.

However, Blizzard stated that they would rather not rush it. Instead, they prefer to take a few extra weeks to polish the game before bringing the closed beta back. Although Overwatch will still be a work-in-progress, they wish for it to be at a “certain quality bar” before releasing it for testing. The wait could be worth it.

The game developer further mentioned that the closed beta will be available for those who got into the program in the past, along with a few new testers. So, anyone who did not get an invitation might be fortunate enough to get a chance to test out the game.

So far, Overwatch is set to officially launch in the summer of 2016 on the PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One, but no specific date or price has been announced.

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