Highlights
- Overwatch 2's Gothenburg mission shows that Blizzard is willing to narrow the focus of PvE levels to four heroes whenever the story calls for it.
- As such, a mission focused on the Junkers - Junker Queen, Wrecking Ball, Roadhog, and Junkrat - could work.
- It would provide a visually unique setting with a map set in New Junk City, and the interactions between the over-the-top characters would surely be a treat.
Overwatch 2 has finally added PvE content for players to enjoy, and though not everyone is happy with their cost, the initial lineup has been received well by fans. The cinematics do a fine job of bringing together characters that fans adore, and Overwatch 2’s lore codex is an excellent way to get casual fans more invested in the story as it unfolds. Still, though the missions are fun, their runtime is brief - meaning that fans are already looking toward what the future will entail for the game.
While Overwatch 2’s next few seasons will not be bringing story missions, meaning the next PvE mission drop will be in Season 9 at the earliest, fans know that India will be one of the next levels they play. Teased at the end of Gothenburg, Genji will seemingly be heading out to rescue Zenyatta from the Talon members Widowmaker and Sombra. However, Gothenburg may be setting up another mission, this time with its hero restrictions. Limiting players to four heroes suggests that more missions with a small character lineup could be in the cards, and few make more sense than a level focused on the Junkers.
A Junker Mission in Overwatch 2 Already Has Four Heroes Lined Up To Fight
While the main Overwatch team has been reassembled within Invasion, and many missions will likely focus on this important faction, there are groups outside Overwatch to consider. Neutral parties like Symmetra and Vishkar exist, as do Lifeweaver and fellow Support character Illari. Hanzo is practically begging for redemption, while Kiriko could trade in small-scale vigilantism for a place in Winston’s peacekeeping organization. However, the Junkers are arguably the most important group to touch on, as four different heroes can be made playable in PvE by exploring the faction.
The heroes in question are Junker Queen, Wrecking Ball, Roadhog, and Junkrat, all of which have made the Australian Outback their home. A mission set in New Junk City - the massive map from Overwatch 2’s new Flashpoint game mode - would be visually diverse from all the levels in Invasion. How the group gets involved in the fight is anyone’s guess, as Junkertown has remained neutral, though its hatred for Omnics comes to mind. For Junker Queen and her followers, the promise of fighting the corrupt Omnics of Null Sector could be more than enough of an incentive to assist Overwatch.
Perhaps the best thing about this group is the potential interactions that could result from it starring in a PvE story mission. As Junker Queen’s Champion, Wrecking Ball will surely be shown some love by the royal Tank, and it is funny to think about his mech responding with respect to whatever she says. On the other hand, Queen’s disdain for Junkrat and Roadhog is well-documented, so listening to the explosives expert try to weasel his way out of a conflict could be hilarious. Plus, more of Junkrat’s odd friendship with Roadhog would be a blast as always. The shocking amount of lines written for Overwatch 2 Invasion means that these dynamics would be explored thoroughly, which would surely be a treat for fans of the Junkers.
The only challenge with a mission focused purely on these four characters is that no Support hero would be on the team. With four bulky Tanks that demand a lot of healing, this could be a challenge, though it is worth noting that Roadhog, Junker Queen, and Wrecking Ball all have some kind of self-healing. As long as health packs are spread throughout the map for Junkrat, this mission could work. Alternatively, Blizzard could also introduce an unexpected character like Lifeweaver through this mission, as he is out roaming the world while on the run from Vishkar.
Gothenburg focusing fully on four characters as opposed to providing a bunch of options shows that Blizzard is willing to focus on smaller batches of characters when the story calls for it. This could result in plenty of small-scale missions, like Hanzo reuniting with Kiriko and Genji as a fourth hero like Zenyatta is tossed into the mix. However, the most obvious opportunity is a level entirely focused on The Junkers. With four heroes from the faction already present within Overwatch 2, a mission in Australia seems all but guaranteed to happen at some point.
Overwatch 2 is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
