Fans of Blizzard’s shooter Overwatch closed beta will have to wait a little longer as it is not going back online within the month as previously announced.

Instead, players should expect for its return in February, according to game director Jeff Kaplan in the game's forums.

The Overwatch closed beta is not delayed without substantial reason, though, as Blizzard now promises a new game mode and maps to come along with it when the game returns online a few weeks from now.

"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," Kaplan says.

He reveals a new game mode is currently in the works and he says "we have some great new maps to support it, too." He underscores, however, that to get everything on the right track, Blizzard needs extra time.

It could be rushed, though, to get it rolled out before the month ends. However, it would not be possible to push out the new game mode plus maps within the time period.

Kaplan says the development team will have to work hard for a few more weeks before Blizzard can finally bring the Overwatch closed beta back.

The delay will also let the team carry out "additional polish" to the game's reward system and progression, which Blizzard announced in December.

While the game director says his team is targeting a mid-February release, no exact date has been specifically mentioned. Kaplan assures the delay won't extend to March.

The closed beta started in late October last year. It went offline, however, for an "extended break" in December. Back then, the development team claimed the closed beta will return in mid-to-late January.

Blizzard promises that it will do its best to give at least a week's notice before the Overwatch closed beta returns online.

Overwatch will also be played via PS4 and Xbox One. A beta for the game console, however, has not yet been released.