An Overwatch 2 player spotted an Easter egg that could help confirm what year the online multiplayer game takes place. It's odd to consider, but Blizzard has never officially announced the specific year that Overwatch or Overwatch 2 is set. Clearly, the franchise is set in the future, given the presence of the Omnic race and a variety of futuristic technology. But the exact year, if only to frame Overwatch around the current year, has remained a mystery - though perhaps that's about to change.
While a specific year for Overwatch and Overwatch 2's setting has not been officially announced, Blizzard has shared some more general information on the subject in the past. Blizzard's Chris Metzen once said Overwatch's story takes place "something like 60 years" in the future. Former Overwatch senior designer Michael Chu similarly said Overwatch's story took place "around" 60 years in the future. They notably said this in different years.
Given was first released 2016, many Overwatch players assumed it was based in the year 2076 or somewhere around it. With Overwatch 2 taking place a year later, that would imply it's based in the year 2077. Now there may be evidence proving whether that's accurate or not. A Reddit user named John_is_a_fool shared a screenshot from the map Paraiso. In the club, there's a poster that when translated reads "Friday, May 14." Players were then able to figure out what years have a May 14 that lands on a Friday.
Using the 2070s as a baseline, John_is_a_fool figured out that May 14th lands on a Friday in three potential years -- 2066, 2077, and 2088. In other words, there's a good spread of potential years Overwatch 2 could be set in if we consider it to be "around" 60 years in the future. Unfortunately, it leaves some options unavailable.
The most likely of the three dates to be accurate, however, is 2077. That's because Overwatch launched in 2016, it's set about 60 years in the future, and Overwatch 2 is set one year after Overwatch. That makes 2077 the perfect year for Blizzard to have set Overwatch 2.
It's unlikely that Blizzard will officially confirm or deny the year in which Overwatch 2 is set, as some ambiguity keeps it interesting and fun. The poster found in Paraiso could also be old or for an event that's months in the future. So, while it's a fun Easter egg, it's by no means definitive. For the Overwatch 2 lore community, though, it's perhaps the closest they'll get to confirmation of 2077 being the year of Overwatch 2.
Overwatch 2 is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
