Overwatch 2 is shaping up to be an interesting game for a few reasons. Alongside new designs for every character, additional heroes like Sojourn, and several fresh multiplayer maps, a switch to a 5v5 approach will be shaking up the PvP experience in a major way. However, while many eyes are understandably on the hero reworks that are coming as a result of this new format, others remain focused on the sequel’s PvE content.
Unlike the original Overwatch, which only had PvE content as part of seasonal events like Archives and Halloween Terror, the sequel will feature a full PvE campaign alongside hundreds of optional hero missions. With the co-op portion of Overwatch 2 being made out to be just as important as the multiplayer experience this time around, it would make sense for Gearbox to expand upon it - and Hero Challenges could provide the perfect opportunity to do so.
Adding Story Missions To Overwatch’s Hero Challenges
Between Overwatch’s proper seasonal events, Blizzard likes to give players some lore-focused Hero Challenges. These Challenges focus on one specific hero, allowing players to get rewards based on the hero in question. These limited time unlocks are usually simple to acquire, with players getting sprays for watching sponsored streams and getting a flashy skin for playing and winning games.
These special skins will usually be tied to an Overwatch comic or a short story, like Reaper’s recent Code of Violence event. The stories in question are solid, providing fans of the game’s characters with some extra lore to take in. However, a consistent criticism of Overwatch is that the most meaningful stories unfold outside the game, so the sequel taking a new approach to hero events could be a major step in the right direction.
While Overwatch’s comics and short stories should not stop altogether, as not all stories are a good fit for a video game, it would be great to see PvE missions taking priority when a new Hero Challenge is added to Overwatch 2. This way, players could actually experience something like Reaper’s Code of Violence in-game. A two-player mission with Sombra could have featured the same interactions the pair had in the comic, allowing the characters’ stories to be progressed in-game. Blizzard could also provide different experiences depending on the story it is trying to tell, adding a four-player mission focused on a group of Overwatch agents or a solo mission that highlights a new hero’s origin story.
Through this approach, Overwatch would be able to add something exciting on a monthly basis, perfectly splitting the focus between PvE and PvP content. Every other month, a proper event could drop that provides the usual array of Overwatch cosmetics to collect and Brawls to enjoy. Hero Challenges could release in between these seasonal events, only this time around they would each bring an additional PvE experience along with them.
With the Overwatch hero roster being so massive, it is unlikely that every single hero will get a chance to shine in the main PvE campaign. However, more extensive Hero Challenges could rectify that. Players could experience missions built around heroes like Zenyatta who lack lore, giving them much more time in the spotlight. With PvE systems in place for Overwatch 2, these missions would likely be much easier to craft. While the current Hero Challenges are fine, each one bringing a new story mission could make Overwatch 2’s post-launch approach far more exciting.
Overwatch 2 is currently in development for PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.
