Overwatch 2 Promises PvE Modes are Coming But Gamers Aren't Having It
Overwatch 2 Director Aaron Keller is attempting to gain back the community’s trust after Blizzard received major backlash for canceling the planned PvE modes. In a recent reflection on the situation, Keller apologized to the fanbase and then promised more content.
While discussing a road map of the next few seasons, it was revealed that the PvE mode promised since BlizzCon 2019 was not happening. This quickly led to a fan uproar, with Overwatch 2 players accusing Blizzard of not delivering on a big promise.
Keller wrote a lengthy Director’s Take post to explain the reason behind the developers’ decision and clarify that PvE isn’t gone from the game’s future entirely.
Game Director @aaronkellerOW reflects on our initial ambitions for PvE, what led to the change of plans, and what the future holds for Overwatch 2.
— Overwatch (@PlayOverwatch) May 19, 2023
Read it here: https://t.co/BRPTNYnlks pic.twitter.com/P3IX6kU3bk
Why Are Hero Missions Not Happening in Overwatch 2
In the long apology letter to Overwatch 2 players, Keller looked back on the team’s “gargantuan vision” of having Hero Missions with intricate skill trees, custom abilities, and unique storylines for each hero. He said that players had “high expectations” for this after seeing the early concepts, but it didn’t look like the team could reach them while also maintaining the rest of the game.
When Overwatch 2 launched, the team started “refining our plans” for the upcoming seasons. While looking at the road map, developers feared that PvE wouldn’t fit in anymore. It seemed impossible to pull people from the live game, leading to the “difficult decision” to cut Hero Missions.
"This has been hard for us, but as the director on this project, I have to do my best to make decisions that put the game and the community first, even when those decisions are disappointing,” Keller wrote. “In this case, I had trouble pivoting away from a vision that just wasn’t working. And for that, I would like to apologize to our players and to our team. I’m sorry.”
So Is There Still PvE Mode in Overwatch 2?
You have probably seen the outcries all over Twitch, Twitter, and beyond — Overwatch 2 players claiming that they were lied to and that PvE mode is no more. This was the instant reaction to Blizzard announcing that the long-promised Hero Mission mode was being scrapped.
But Keller said that PvE is not completely out of the picture.
“We are still committed to building many of the elements we talked about at BlizzCon 2019, including the Story Missions that delve into the next chapter of the Overwatch universe, new types of co-op content we haven’t yet shared, and new stories that we’re planning to tell both in and out of the game,” Keller said. “We’re excited about this direction and we can’t wait for you to finally get to experience what we’ve been building.”
The new roadmap shows Story Missions still listed in Season 6, followed by Hero Mode Missions in Season 7. No further information was given on these updates.
It’s impossible to predict what the missions and co-op experiences will ultimately end up being — and if Blizzard will actually deliver. Fans are currently quite skeptical of the Overwatch 2 development team and for good reason.
However, Keller wrote that it’s just another pivot in the ongoing project that is Overwatch 2, and he expects “something beautiful” to come out of it.
He concluded: “This is another moment of change. And the future of Overwatch will be born out of it.”
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!