Overwatch 2’s PvE co-op story missions are one of its most anticipated features, but Blizzard has now revealed they won’t be arriving in 2022.
Blizzard has steadily revealed what players can expect when Overwatch 2 launches its free-to-play multiplayer this October, but unfortunately, it’s now been revealed that the anticipated PvE co-op story missions won’t be coming in 2022. The game’s PvE story content is one of the biggest draws for Blizzard’s hero-shooter sequel, with the lore and worldbuilding of the original Overwatch having contributed significantly to its success. While it had been expected that PvE would form a core pillar of Overwatch 2‘s launch, that is now no longer the case.
The Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase featured trailers for a number of anticipated titles, with Blizzard’s upcoming hero-shooter sequel being one of them. Blizzard revealed Overwatch 2‘s release date alongside hero Junker Queen, a character previously referenced in the first game’s Junkertown map. The second Overwatch 2 beta also launches on PC and consoles on June 28, allowing curious players to try the two newest heroes and the competitive shooter’s new 5v5 matches. New characters and maps are planned to be introduced every nine weeks with each new season of Overwatch 2 once the game launches 4.
While the next stage of Overwatch‘s multiplayer will be playable this year, Blizzard has now revealed that the highly anticipated Overwatch 2 PvE co-op story missions will be launching sometime in 2023 and not with the now free-to-play multiplayer on October 4. The game’s developers shared more details on Overwatch 2‘s release on the game’s official YouTube channel, PlayOverwatch. The video highlights the team’s goal of delivering more Overwatch 2 content through the free-to-play seasonal model rather than trying to release the game as a $60-$70 title. It has yet to be announced if Overwatch 2‘s story missions will release together or episodically throughout several seasons. The promised PvE missions will allow a team of friends to discover Overwatch 2‘s story while fighting hordes of enemies using customizable characters and abilities.
Fans have been waiting a long time to play Overwatch 2‘s PvE content, with the game having initially been announced in 2019, and now it looks like they’ll be in for an even longer wait. Numerous controversies have afflicted the game’s studio and publisher, Activision Blizzard, in the months since that reveal, which has also reportedly impacted Overwatch 2‘s development. Separate to those controversies, Overwatch game director Jeff Kaplan left Blizzard in 2021 after almost 20 years with the company, with the sequel’s focus moving from PvE to a reinvention of the original Overwatch‘s multiplayer formula.
Overwatch 2 will launch on October 4 with 35 playable heroes, six new maps, and around 25,000 voice lines filled with lots of hidden lore. New dynamic voice lines can be heard in revealed gameplay, rather than only when the team preps for battle. Hopefully, they will provide some juicy story clues for what’s to come when the Overwatch 2 story missions launch sometime in 2023.
Source: PlayOverwatch/YouTube
Editor’s Note: A lawsuit has been filed against Activision Blizzard by the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing, which alleges the company has engaged in abuse, discrimination, and retaliation against its female employees. Activision Blizzard has denied the allegations. The full details of the Activision Blizzard lawsuit (content warning: rape, suicide, abuse, harassment) are being updated as new information becomes available.
Jason Hon is a Gaming News Writer and the content creator behind the Mega Manga Mondays Podcast and the Comedic Gaming YouTube Channel Honzy and Friends! Within him lies a colossal passion for Gaming, Shonen, and making people smile. He graduated from The Los Angeles Film School and performs improv comedy. He lives with his wife and two cats in Iowa, USA.
