Overwatch 2 is in an interesting position at the moment. While Overwatch 2’s fifth Season lacks content, the 2023 Xbox Games Showcase did a lot to build anticipation for Season 6. Not only is another Support hero on the way, and a brand-new PvP mode with some never-before-seen maps, but Blizzard will finally be delivering the first set of PvE story missions in August. With a firing range update and other features coming too, there is a lot to look forward to.
However, one Overwatch 2 Season 6 addition that could keep gamers hooked on the hero shooter is the addition of Hero Mastery Mode. While Blizzard has not yet detailed how the missions will work, they look interesting based on the glimpses players saw in the Invasion update trailer. Further, they could be a perfect way to shake things up while players are waiting to find a match, as they could be making progress on another type of content while they wait to find a PvE or PvP match.
Hero Mastery Missions Can Help Make Overwatch 2 Queues Less Boring
Queue times in Overwatch 2 are not nearly as painful as they were in the original game due to matchmaking changes and the constant player based a free-to-play title provides, but gamers will still run into them from time to time. In particular, players will see long queue times when with a group and when they are searching for less popular arcade modes. Deathmatches and Skirmishes can get old after a while, so Hero Mastery Missions could be the perfect workaround.
Based on what has been said about Hero Mastery Mode, each mission is designed to test a player’s skill with a particular hero. They will likely have to pull off kills as quickly as they can with each part of a character’s kit while also traversing some hazardous digital environments. Reinhardt pinning an enemy across a gap in the floor during the Invasion trailer is one example, while clearing an obstacle course that uses Sojourn's slide and jump combo is another.
Based on what Blizzard has said about Hero Mastery Missions, they seem to be highly replayable activities that give players a new way to warm up with their favorite character. They will also be a new source of competition, with players able to access a global leaderboard to see and beat the performances of their friends and other players across the world. These missions will likely be a key part of leveling up in Overwatch 2’s planned hero-specific progression system, too, so perhaps they will include some exclusive rewards to chase.
If Overwatch 2 players are encouraged to finish Hero Mastery missions as quick as possible, or with a better score, practicing speedrun and performance tactics during a lengthy queue could be time well spent. Further, Blizzard could let other members of a group spectate the person running a Mastery mission, or even let them run their own version of the mission so that friends can compete in real time for a higher score or faster completion time.
Just like with Overwatch 2’s upcoming lore codex, Blizzard has not yet confirmed whether players will be able to engage with the Hero Mastery content while they wait to join a casual or competitive match. Still, it is hard to argue against the idea of such a feature having potential. Giving players an area to refine their movement with a character like Tracer or Genji before a match - assuming they receive missions in Season 6 or further down the road - could be very beneficial, as the traditional training area only really helps with accuracy and understanding the ranges of the game’s weapons.
Overwatch 2 is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
