Summary
- Overwatch 2's recent Developer Update focused on free hero access and Mythic skins customization, which was great news, but lacked PvE updates, disappointing fans.
- New core changes, hero reworks, and maps are coming to Overwatch 2 to shake up the gameplay experience in upcoming seasons, all of which deserve praise.
- Sadly, this news comes alongside rumors that PvE's future is uncertain and story missions could be dead, taking away from what should be a unanimously praised update.
The content of Overwatch 2 is continuing to grow at a rapid pace, with the periodic launches of in-game seasons combining well with limited-time events to give fans a great range of fresh experiences to enjoy. These recent updates have done a good job at giving players a formulaic structure of new content, but Blizzard may be feeling that this framework is starting to get predictable.
This is why many fans were pleasantly surprised by the recent Developer Update for Overwatch 2, which outlined a range of exciting core changes that are expected to come to the title in the near future. The Developer Update has been generally well-received thanks to its focus on increasing the accessibility of things like heroes and skins, but the absence of any updates on Overwatch 2's PvE promises spells bad news for hopeful fans.
Overwatch 2's Developer Update Furthers the Worries Around PvE
PvE experiences were not mentioned at all in Overwatch 2's recent Developer Update, with some fans believing that a lot of the positive news from the update may have been a way to soften this blow. One of the most popular announcements from the Developer Update is that all future new heroes for Overwatch 2 will be made freely available for players, doing away with the old system that tied new heroes to battle pass purchases.
The popular Mythic Skins of Overwatch 2 are also due to change soon, with a new Mythic Shop feature allowing players to tailor how far they want to customize a Mythic skin, while also giving them the ability to unlock past Mythic skins. This will come alongside changes to weekly challenges and battle pass rewards, with challenges tailoring to a player's gameplay tendencies and premium coins being made available through battle pass progression.
The Developer Update also touched on upcoming hero reworks and core gameplay changes to further shake up Overwatch 2's core experience, as well as two new maps being added across Season 10 and 11 in the way of Hanaoka and Runasapi. As well as this, the following maps are confirmed to be receiving tweaks or full reworks in the future:
- Colosseo
- Dorado
- Circuit Royale
- Havana
- Numbani
Overwatch 2 May Never Live Up To its PvE Promises
PvE experiences were billed as a major part of Overwatch 2 in the run-up to its release, but it quickly became clear that these experiences would not feature nearly as prominently as fans were led to believe. It was originally intended for Overwatch 2 to feature a full PvE campaign made up of individual Hero Missions that would work alongside a Talent system, with a large focus on replayability.
This was officially canceled by Blizzard in May 2023, with individual PvE story missions taking its place with the launch of OW2's Season 6. As things stand, Overwatch 2 only features three PvE missions in Resistance, Liberation, and Ironclad, which all focus on different Overwatch 2 heroes and locations around the globe. While these missions have been well received by many fans, the lack of any news about future PvE missions in the Developer Direct may serve as a sad indictment of no further support for the mode. With reports also suggesting that these missions have been pushed down the priority pipeline of Overwatch 2, as well as recent claims that they could be canceled altogether, the recent Developer Direct's omission of PvE updates may have sadly been its loudest announcement.
Overwatch 2
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 77 /100 Critics Rec: 65%
