a player of Overwatch 2 has discovered an easter egg that could help confirm what year online multiplayer game takes place. It’s strange to think about it, but Blizzard has never officially announced the exact year Overwatch or Overwatch 2 is set.
It’s clear that the franchise is set in the future, given the presence of the omnic race and various futuristic technologies. But the exact year, if only to frame Overwatch in the year it’s set, has remained a mystery, though that may be about to change.
While no specific year for the setting of Overwatch and Overwatch 2 has been officially announced, Blizzard has shared some more general information on the subject in the past. Blizzard’s Chris Metzen once said that Overwatch’s story takes place “some 60 years” in the future.
Former Overwatch Senior Designer Michael Chu also said that Overwatch’s story takes place “about” 60 years in the future. In particular, they said this in different years.
Since it was first released in 2016, many Overwatch players assumed that it was set in the year 2076 or sometime nearby. Since Overwatch 2 takes place a year later, that would imply that it’s based in the year 2077.
Now there may be evidence to show whether that is true or not. A reddit user named John_is_a_fool has shared a screenshot of the Paradise map. On it there is a poster that, translated, says “Friday, May 14“. Players were able to find out what years have a May 14th that falls on a Friday.
Using the 2070s as a reference, John_is_a_fool has calculated that May 14 falls on a Friday in three possible years: 2066, 2077, and 2088.. In other words, there is a wide range of possible years that Overwatch 2 could be set in if we consider that it is set “around” 60 years in the future.
