Fans of Overwatch 2 have been eagerly awaiting the release of the game’s PvE Hero mode, which was announced in 2019. However, executive producer Jared Neuss confirmed in a recent developer livestream that the mode has been scrapped. The mode was meant to push Overwatch’s lore forward by allowing players to team up with others and partake in various missions, similar to the Uprising and Retribution events in the first game. The advertised PvE Hero mode was supposed to be an always-available mode that would allow players to gather XP through repeated playthroughs, granting a player’s choice of hero special buffs, by way of an RPG. However, the effort required to pull all of that together into a Blizzard-quality experience that could be shipped to players was too huge, and there was no defined end date to put it out into the world.
Despite the disappointment for fans, the team has chosen to abandon the mode, albeit not fully. Instead of wasting their time refining it, the team is planning to include co-op experiences as parts of their live roadmap. The roadmap reveals plans for Overwatch 2’s seasons 5, 6, 7, and beyond. Season 5 is slated to start on June 13 and features a ‘Mischief and Magic’ theme. Players can expect a new limited-time event called Questwatch, the returning annual Summer Games event, a cinematic reveal, a 5v5 mini competitive season, and a creator workshop mode. Season 6 is being touted as the biggest content drop from Blizzard, starting with the inclusion of Story Missions — some of the PvE material that was announced in 2019. The update also promises a new support hero, a Flashpoint mode, Hero Mastery, a Firing Range, and the Overwatch Anniversary event. Season 7 and beyond would bring a new tank hero and a collaboration event.
Overwatch 2 is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series S/X. While the scrapped PvE Hero mode is a disappointment for fans, the team’s focus on co-op experiences may lead to even better gameplay. Players can expect new content drops and collaborations in the future, making Overwatch 2 a game worth keeping an eye on.
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