Highlights
- Fans will have to wait until 2024 for more Overwatch 2 campaign levels, as no more story missions will be released in Seasons 7 or 8.
- Blizzard should bring back the Archives event from the original game to provide co-op content for Overwatch 2 players and ease frustrations during this content drought.
- Adding the three Archives missions to Overwatch 2 would double the number of PvE levels, providing more gameplay options and giving new players a chance to finally enjoy the content.
Anyone who has been following the situation regarding Overwatch 2’s PvE content will be well aware of the pros and cons. A few months after a massive blow to the community when it was revealed that skill trees and hero missions were canceled, Blizzard released Invasion. And while some fans were disappointed that the missions were locked behind a paywall and could all be completed in under 2 hours, the content itself is strong. Sadly, instead of delivering more memorable cutscenes and story missions in Season 7, Blizzard will be taking a break from PvE releases in Overwatch 2 - though it does not need to.
It has already been stated that the game will not receive any more story missions in Seasons 7 or 8, meaning that fans will be stuck waiting until 2024 for more Overwatch 2 campaign levels. While the upside of this is that Blizzard will have the necessary amount of time to implement the community’s feedback about Invasion, it means that fans of co-op gameplay will be stuck with nothing new to do within the hero shooter - unless Blizzard remembers the co-op content from the original Overwatch that is currently nowhere to be seen in the sequel.
Bringing Back Archives For Overwatch 2 Could Make The Wait Between PvE Drops Less Painful
Part of the reason that fans were so excited about Overwatch 2 fully embracing PvE is that Blizzard had already proven co-op gameplay works well within the original title. Back in the first game, there was a seasonal event called Archives that offered players access to PvE content. Archives began with a level called Uprising that documented Tracer’s first mission, and it was followed up by the Blackwatch-focused Retribution a year later. Storm Rising was the third and final Archives mission, revealing Ramattra and setting up the sequel’s plot.
In the first Overwatch, it made sense for co-op missions to be seasonal content. Blizzard did not have a section in the menu to house the missions and make them a permanent fixture of the game, and with Archives coming around only once each year, the missions felt special whenever they appeared. The Anniversary event meant the missions were playable two times a year, too, ensuring that they still appeared frequently enough. However, there is no Archives event in Overwatch 2, and based on the roadmap, Archives missions will not be returning during the 2023 Anniversary event.
Perhaps the reason Blizzard will not be making Archives playable in the Anniversary event has to do with a plan to bring the missions back later on, though there has been no indication that this is in the cards. However, it absolutely should be. Blizzard can use the same cutscene trick from Invasion to ensure Overwatch 2’s file size stays small while simultaneously giving PvE fans something else to enjoy. With the charming Overwatch 2 Missions menu existing, all Blizzard would need to do is add a flashback section to let players access the older missions in the timeline.
Though some longtime players likely had their fill of the three Archives missions in the first game, there are millions of players who fell in love with the franchise because of Overwatch 2. Additionally, a free-to-play format means that new players will constantly be trying out the game. All of these fans deserve a chance to play the Archives content, as battling Talon and the old Omnic bots felt different from fighting the forces of Null Sector. These missions also provided their own cinematics and stories, with modifiers that added replayability.
While Archives would not be the same as brand-new story content, adding these three missions would instantly double the number of PvE levels within Overwatch 2. That is a massive difference, and dropping the missions somewhere in Season 7 or Season 8 could help ease frustrations regarding the long wait for more story content. For some players, the Archives missions would be entirely new, while Overwatch 2’s challenge system could be used to give veteran players some fresh cosmetics to chase. Lore codex entries based on these classic missions could add depth to that system, too, and with the Archives content already existing, there is no valid reason for Blizzard not to integrate it into the current game.
Overwatch 2 is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
