Overwatch 2recently updated the Play menu to feature a larger button for Hero Mastery, but a smaller button for Missions. This small adjustment seems to suggest a change in priority forOverwatch 2, and could mean new PvE missions are a long way off.
Recently,Overwatch 2released a huge patchfor the halfway mark of Season 9. This sizable update gave buffs to nearly half the roster of playable characters, and introduced a new game mode called Hero Mastery: Gauntlet – a new co-op PvE challenge that has players fend off waves of AI NPCs.
However, the introduction of this new Hero Mastery game mode brought an unexpected change to the Play menu that could be bad news for fans of the game’s Story Missions. As of the patch, Missions have been moved from the larger cards to the smaller buttons on the right side of the screen, in favor of Hero Mastery, which has taken its place in the main game modes. This subtle change suggestsOverwatch 2’s Hero Mastery modemay be a higher priority than Story Missions going forward.
OW2 Missions and Hero Mastery Cards Swapped Places
Though its co-op story mode was one of the biggest selling points forOverwatch 2, the PvE missions have seen several setbacks over the last year. In May 2023,Overwatch 2revealed many of its plans for PvE had been canceled. It finally released the first Story Missions in Season 6 in August 2023, but there have beenno further updates fromOverwatch 2about them since then. With several PvE devs being impacted by the Microsoft layoffs, followed by this most recent menu change, some fans fear they may never see new Story Missions inOverwatch 2.
Not all is lost for PvE fans inOverwatch 2, however. The company has yet to officially state anything about the future of Story Missions, so more could still come in the future. Additionally, though it lacks the narrative element of the Story Missions, Hero Mastery is both free and popular, and the newGauntlet mode could be the unsung hero ofOverwatch 2. Regardless, fans will have to wait and see what Blizzard has in store for them with PvE inOverwatch 2.
Overwatch 2
WHERE TO PLAY
Overwatch 2 is an always-on and ever-evolving free-to-play, team-based action game set in an optimistic future, where every match is the ultimate 5v5 battlefield brawl. Power up your railgun and disrupt the battlefield as Sojourn, or yield your axe and command attention as Junker Queen. Battle to take control of a robot and move it toward the enemy base in the new Push Mode. Bring the fight to new destinations across the globe in iconic locations like New York, Rome, Monte Carlo and Rio. Daily challenges and frequent updates mean there is always something new to play.
