In case you missed it, Overwatch 2’s long-awaited PvE story missions were finally released as part of Season 6: Invasion. The response has been mixed, despite their quality. However, their release was quickly overshadowed by the game’s debut on Steam, as it became the lowest-rated title in the platform’s history.
Game director Aaron Keller surprisingly addressed this in the recent Director’s Take post and said, “Although being review-bombed isn’t a fun experience, it’s been great to see lots of new players jump into Overwatch 2 for the first time. Our goal with Overwatch 2 has been to make the game more accessible than ever for more people than ever before.
“Many of the reviews on Steam mention the cancellation of the much larger component of PvE that was announced in 2019 as one of their primary reasons for dissatisfaction with the game. I get that. That announcement was about an ambitious project that we ultimately couldn’t deliver.”
While Keller says the team “can’t turn back the clock,” it will keep “adding to and improving Overwatch 2. That is how we move forward. It means more maps, heroes, game modes, missions, stories, events, cool cosmetics, and features – an ever-expanding, evolving, and improving game. This is the future of Overwatch. One where we will continually create and innovate on what is making the game great now for the players who are playing now.”
Overwatch 2’s story missions are set after the recent Sojourn animated short, “Calling”, and see Null Sector launching attacks worldwide. The newly reformed Overwatch fights back against them across three locations – Gothenberg, Toronto and Rio. A free PvE event, Underworld, is also available and offers new areas on King’s Row.
Unfortunately, the next batch of story missions isn’t coming soon. Executive producer Jared Neuss said that they won’t be releasing at a regular seasonal pace. Head here for his full response and stay tuned for more updates.
