Overwatch 2: Invasion PvE Details Revealed — Lore, Maps, Challenges
Overwatch 2: Invasion is going to be huge in terms of content, bringing PvE, a new competitive mode, a new support hero, and more to the hungry community. There was so much to go over, in fact, that Blizzard decided to hold a livestream to further discuss what fans can expect come August.
One of the biggest topics, of course, was PvE. After Blizzard received massive backlash for announcing the cancelation of a long-awaited PvE mode with skill trees and unique hero missions, developers promised that a different PvE experience was still coming.
Overwatch 2 players were skeptical, especially when it was announced that the PvE missions would cost $15 to access. Would they have replayability? Would they advance the Overwatch 2 story? Here’s what we learned during the recent livestream.
Overwatch 2: Invasion Livestream Gives Further PvE Details
Senior Game Producer Kim Horn and Art Director Dion Rogers sat down to discuss the PvE experience coming to Overwatch 2 in August. Both of them marveled at how the new PvE mode would finally advance the canon story behind Overwatch.
The PvE missions will take place shortly after Winston’s Recall when he tries to get Overwatch heroes back together. At this point, some new heroes are also called upon so they can all work together in order to stop the invasion. This means some characters haven’t met yet.
“Lucio hasn’t met Reinhardt yet. You’re going to learn exactly how these characters meet each other and what they’ve been up to before this invasion happened,” Rogers said.
In this sense, the PvE mode is going to be a great way to learn more about the heroes you love. The locations are not only designed for intense gameplay but to showcase the story. For example, Rio is a “great location,” said Rogers, “because it’s connected to one of our heroes, Lucio. And you will witness how he feels to see an invasion happening in his hometown.”
Horn added that the PvE mode also allowed for much more interaction between heroes. You’ll find out a lot more about the heroes and their relationships this way.
New PvE Maps Coming to Overwatch 2
Another big topic of conversation was the maps that players will discover and explore in the PvE mode.
According to Horn, a lot of the maps were originally based on PvP maps but needed something “more fun” for PvE. While you’ll recognize the maps, you’ll be playing in an entirely new area. This is not only to give players something different but to work with how different PvE gameplay is.
“There’s a lot of different needs in PvE maps versus PvP,” said Horn. “For example, something like a tunnel is terrifying in PvP but you might want to duck in there in PvE to hide from an enemy.”
The maps will also be much larger with a lot to discover. Rogers noted that the PvE maps are actually “four to five times bigger” than existing maps in order to allow for more cinematic and scenic areas, some of which wouldn’t be balanced in PvP but work great in PvE.
“The team’s been itching to do this kinda thing for a while,” said Rogers.
Will PvE Mode Change?
One of the biggest concerns with the new PvE content is how it costs $15 but doesn’t seem to have as much replay value as the original PvE content that was promised. Unique hero customization and skill trees are no longer, so is it worth it?
Horn explained that each PvE story mission will have challenges that change every week. This means that players will have new objectives each week to keep gameplay fresh. The roster of heroes will also change week to week, so you may be doing the same mission but with an entirely different strategy and gameplay.
Is that enough to please the Overwatch 2 community? Most likely not, but it will be interesting to see how the new PvE mode plays out.
Olivia is a long-time esports journalist and editor who covers just about every game but has a deep love for the FGC. Her goal is to find community-driven stories that bring a new perspective to the esports scene. In the past, she has worked for Team Liquid, Rogue, Inven Global, Dot Esports, Upcomer, and more. Outside of esports, Olivia enjoys Kirby, Pokemon TCG, Fallout, and writing science fiction. She can be found trying out new foods, traveling, or hanging out with her two orange cats. Fun fact: Olivia can do some video game and cartoon impressions!