Summary
- Overwatch 2's story is in a rough spot due to canceled co-op content and a slow rollout of missions.
- Uncertainty also surrounds future PvE missions, as there is a chance that no more ever release, but a complete animated series could be a good alternative.
- Blizzard could regain trust by delivering a grand animated series to expand Overwatch's narrative, with the property's previous projects like Genesis and shorts being big hits that suggest players would embrace an animated series.
While many fans are drawn to the exciting and addictive gameplay of Overwatch 2, the story of the title is an equally complex and interesting element of the franchise. Of course, the IP is home to a huge selection of unique characters which have had a place in an overarching narrative that stretches back to 2016, but the newer release has taken the plot a step further.
Still, the way in which Overwatch 2's story has been delivered has been quite underwhelming due to canceled co-op content for the game and a painfully slow rollout of story missions, and Blizzard might be at a crossroads about how the current story arc's ending should be handled. With the future of PvE missions reportedly being quite uncertain, there has never been a better time for Overwatch to finally deliver on a long-demanded animated series to cap off its narrative.
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An Animated Series Could Be a Perfect Way to Finish Overwatch 2's Story
It can be easy to miss out on the core of Overwatch's narrative through normal gameplay, with the usual PvP combat of the franchise being kept separate from its overarching lore. The bulk of Overwatch's story concerns the Omnic Crisis, an event which saw the global class of robotic servants brutally rebel against their human masters.
The Overwatch group, composed of the world's smartest and strongest heroes, was formed to combat the Omnic forces, and the backgrounds of many of these heroes have been explored through dedicated cinematics. The online cinematic shorts for Overwatch have become a huge staple of the IP, amassing millions of views and being one of the major ways in which the franchise has expressed its deeper narrative.
Many fans were hoping that this would be taken to the next level with the release of Overwatch 2, especially with the title's initial promises of featuring a full PvE campaign. Unfortunately, the plans were significantly dialed back following Overwatch 2's launch, with the game instead opting for a select number of PvE missions. As things stand, these are the only PvE missions available in Overwatch 2:
- Resistance
- Ironclad
- Liberation
These missions focused on different locations and heroes, each coming with their own cinematics that furthered the story of Overwatch 2. However, recent reports suggest that the future of Overwatch 2's story missions is uncertain at best, with many fans wondering how they will get their fix of the title's narrative moving forward. While Blizzard could simply continue the franchise's tradition of online cinematics, a fully fledged animated series could be a much better alternative, as the goal of Overwatch 2 was to finally make the story move forward.
Blizzard Needs a Grand Gesture to Win Back the Trust of Fans
The popularity of Overwatch cinematics has seen a call for a full animated series for quite some time, with the success and scope of the franchise more than warranting such an ambitious venture. It is clear that Blizzard already has a complete vision of what the end of Overwatch 2's story will be, and the narrative of the now scrapped campaign could shine in periodically released animated episodes.
Overwatch 2's heavily praised Genesis miniseries also proves that a full animated series with longer episodes could work extremely well for the property.
Not only would this be a great way to expand the scope of the Overwatch franchise beyond the game itself, but it would be the perfect way to repay fans for the disappointment of Overwatch 2's seemingly canceled PvE missions. Other recent projects like Cyberpunk: Edgerunners prove that there is a huge market for animated spin-offs of gaming franchises, and the pre-existing love people have for Overwatch's animated shorts means that a full series or even films could be a perfect way of continuing the series' narrative and picking up where Invasion left off.
Overwatch 2
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 77 /100 Critics Rec: 65%
WHERE TO PLAY
Overwatch 2 is an always-on and ever-evolving free-to-play, team-based action game set in an optimistic future, where every match is the ultimate 5v5 battlefield brawl. Power up your railgun and disrupt the battlefield as Sojourn, or yield your axe and command attention as Junker Queen. Battle to take control of a robot and move it toward the enemy base in the new Push Mode. Bring the fight to new destinations across the globe in iconic locations like New York, Rome, Monte Carlo and Rio. Daily challenges and frequent updates mean there is always something new to play.
