Blizzard recently announced that they will be removing the PvE mode of Hero Mastery Gauntlet from Overwatch 2. With the mode's removal and the lack of news regarding more story missions, it seems that Overwatch 2 may never receive the PvE missions that fans have eagerly awaited.
The shift from Overwatch, Blizzard’s highly successful hero shooter, to its sequel, Overwatch 2, was a turbulent one, and the ground still hasn’t settled nearly 2 years after release. Many fans questioned the need for a sequel, but Blizzard focused on inward changes, most notably the shift to a free-to-play format. This brought with it a paid battle pass, upsetting fans further, but the consolation was that Blizzard stated it would be adding additional game modes. Many players were excited about the promised PvE story missions that were meant to be included, and yet, only three were ever added as paid DLC. Now, with Blizzard giving the ax to the PvE Hero Mastery Gauntlet only months after its release, the likelihood that fans will see more story missions is slim.
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Is There Low Interest in Overwatch 2’s PvE Modes?
The main reason given for the removal of Hero Mastery Gauntlet is reportedly that the mode hasn’t been seeing as many players as Blizzard wanted. When announcing the cancelation, it said the mode “hasn’t resonated with players” in the way it hoped. If the decision is based on Blizzard's own analytics, and it isn't seeing high enough players to continue pouring resources into the mode, then it’s a logical decision to stop development on it further. The sticking point with many players, though, is that this mode was designed as a permanent and free PvE mode to give players some answer to Blizzard’s broken PvE promises. Without Hero Mastery Gauntlet, the only permanent PvE missions are locked behind a paywall.
The paid story PvE missions remain in the game, but reports have indicated that Blizzard has abandoned many plans for these missions. Hero Mastery's original single player option is also staying in, and the company has said that more heroes will get courses there. So, while Blizzard hasn't given up entirely on PvE content, it does seem that it’s starting to lose faith in the idea.
This puts players in a tough spot; it’s difficult to show support for story missions when the only version to play is paid DLC. What Blizzard may be interpreting as low interest in PvE modes may in fact be a low interest in paid content, because after all, Overwatch 2's player count has never been higher. With a free-to-play game, players want free content, and are less likely to purchase additional game modes. This doesn’t mean players don’t want those modes, but rather that they need to receive them in a better format.
How to Fix Overwatch 2’s PvE Issues
Unfortunate as it may be, the saying is true: money talks. The problem arises in the fact that most fans who have purchased PvE story content reported that the missions are fun, but not worth the $15 price tag. This is in part due to the fact that there isn’t much incentive to replay Overwatch 2's story missions. Once fans saw the story and experienced the campaign, they didn’t need to go back to it again. That was meant to be addressed by Hero Mastery Gauntlet giving players a high score to beat as an incentive to return to the game mode. Instead, Hero Mastery Gauntlet is dead, and this means Invasion's storyline seems all the more likely to be left hanging as Blizzard continues dropping PvE support.
"Unfortunately, it hasn't resonated with players the way that we hoped. With this in mind, we have decided to discontinue Hero Mastery Gauntlet as a permanent mode, and it will not be available to play starting in season 11." - Blizzard's announcement of cancelation
The state of Overwatch 2’s PvE future has never been worse, but at least it hasn't completely withdrawn its PvE content. There are still a select few solo Hero Mastery challenges to play, as well as the Invasion story missions that can be bought, if they don’t mind the price. It's entirely possible that Blizzard will reassess its PvE priorities one day, but right now, Invasion looks more doomed by the day.
Overwatch 2
- Released
- August 10, 2023
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.
