Overwatch 2 has made an announcement recently that many players may not want to hear. Only a few short weeks from the devastating news that PvE would not be the same as promised during the original Overwatch 2 announcement, it seems PvE has continued to spiral downwards in the eyes of many players within the community. In an upsetting turn of events, Blizzard’s latest news post has indicated the missions of this game mode are set to be accessible only through purchase via real currency.
Overwatch 2’s PvE was initially advertised as one of the main reasons for the overhaul of the original game in favor of the sequel, taking a ‘player-focused standpoint’ and bringing a completely alternative story-based PvE game mode that everyone would have access to, due to Overwatch 2 being reworked and marketed as free to play. From how PvE was outlined, it was to be a perfect complimentary mode for the teamwork-focused game that is Overwatch.
Unfortunately, the PvE experience has seemingly hit some significant stumbling blocks during development. Instead of delivering on this concept, loyal fans were left in limbo with very little details shared between the original Overwatch 2 announcement and launch day. Originally, PvE was supposed to arrive on launch, but then was pushed back to 2023 with no definitive date, as the team believed it needed more work. Little to no information was provided to players in this time period, and for many it soon started to feel like PvE was just a fable of the past.
Finally, after years of waiting and holding out hopes for the strong narrative, extra lore, more in-depth explorations into Hero backstories, and cooperative play, Blizzard announced that they would not be delivering on the standalone story mode that they had originally envisioned. However, in an interview with GameSpot, Blizzard did state that PvE content would be going ahead and that they would be releasing the content for this mode as smaller standalone co-op story modes and Hero missions, so there was still a slither of hope left.
However, as of today, the Overwatch 2 development team has revealed that the new PvE content, coming in the Overwatch 2: Invasion content update on August 10, will be pay-to-access. The PvE story missions will be inside an Overwatch 2: Invasion Bundle, set to sell at $15 USD for the cheapest access bundle variation.
This bundle will grant a couple of cosmetic rewards, 1000 Overwatch coins, and access to the Overwatch PvE mission bundle that releases in Season 6. The alternative Invasion bundle is set to be priced at $40 USD and includes everything in the $15 bundle, a Premium Battle Pass for the season, 20 Battle Pass skips, 1000 Overwatch Coins, and extra Legendary cosmetics. Purchasing an Invasion Bundle will also grant permanent access to enjoy these missions forever, even after the season ends.
Unfortunately, this means that if you plan to enjoy the PvE content with friends, then everyone who wants to play will need to have purchased this bundle. Blizzard has confirmed that there will be no free alternative to these missions and that each bundle of missions that are released will be part of a different $15 bundle, meaning that if you wish to obtain every PvE mission as they release, you’ll need to pay a minimum of $15 each time.
This has come as disappointing news for many within the Overwatch community, as the whole point of PvE was to bring people together and allow them to enjoy a different, much less pressure-intensive, Overwatch experience. In response to the news, many enraged fans have taken to the comments on the announcement posts made by the team. Take a look for yourself below:
However, there is a small positive to take away from the disappointment this information may bring. If you’re a player who enjoys purchasing and participating in the Premium Battle Pass, then purchasing the $15 Invasion Bundle instead will grant you both access to the PvE missions and enough Overwatch Coins to purchase the Seasonal Battle Pass, allowing you to make the most of your payment and essentially grab two-for-one.
Thankfully, these missions will also always be available for purchase, even after the end of the season in which they were launched, meaning you can catch up on any missed content at a later date.
Overwatch 2 Season 5 launches today, so keep an eye out for more topics here on Twinfinite regarding all of the latest in-game updates, Hero balance changes, new cosmetics, limited-time game modes and more.
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