UPDATE 6/14: Blizzard has confirmed that the Overwatch 2 story missions are going to cost $15 to access. Despite the wording of the initial announcement, the missions will not be free when they're added to the game.
Original story follows.
Overwatch 2 is charging players $15 if they want to have permanent access to its story missions. When Overwatch 2 was first revealed, the big selling point was the addition of a PvE campaign mode. Blizzard's vision for Overwatch 2 has changed rather dramatically since then, pivoting to a free-to-play experience and scrapping the Hero Mode that would have allowed players to upgrade the game's playable heroes through dedicated skill trees.
Understandably, many Overwatch 2 fans were upset to hear that the Hero Mode was being canceled, but the silver lining was that story mission were still on the way. Blizzard previously confirmed that the first Overwatch 2 story missions are coming with Season 6 on August 10 as part of the massive Invasion update, but at the time, it was unclear if the missions would be seasonal or permanent. It's now been clarified that the Overwatch 2 story missions are permanent, as long as one is willing to pay $15.
Overwatch 2's Invasion update will give players three story missions taking place in Rio de Janeiro, Toronto, and Gothenburg, promising "massive maps with complex objectives" and an "in-depth storyline." Overwatch 2 players will find themselves fighting against the villainous Null Sector group, with the story continuing in future seasons of the game. This means those joining Overwatch 2 a few seasons down the road won't necessarily be able to play the story missions from the beginning unless they buy the Invasion Bundle for $15, which includes permanent access to the story missions, 1,000 Overwatch Coins, a Sojourn legendary skin, and access to Sojourn in other game modes. It also potentially means that there will be a similar pricing scheme for future story missions.
Overwatch 2 players will also have the option to purchase the Ultimate Invasion bundle. It costs $40 and comes with all the content as the regular Invasion bundle along with the Null Sector Premium Battle Pass with 20 tier skips, an extra 1,000 Overwatch Coins, and legendary skins for Cassidy and Kiriko.
There will be some Overwatch 2 fans happy that story missions are coming to the hero shooter at all, while others are no doubt going to be upset by the revelation that they can only retain permanent access to the game by buying the bundle. As long as the bundle remains permanently available to purchase in the shop, at least those joining the game in later seasons will still be able to experience the story from the beginning if they're willing to fork over $15, but it's no surprise that there has already been some serious backlash to the decision.
Overwatch 2 is out now in early access for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
