The Overwatch 2 community has reached a new level of negativity in the last few weeks. While many were disappointed with certain aspects of the game, ranging from Roadhog’s current state to the prices of items in Overwatch 2’s in-game store, fans avoided getting too outraged because many had hopes that PvE would be worth it. Sadly, Blizzard recently confirmed that PvE would not be coming in the form that was promised several years ago, with fans also upset that it waited so long to share the news.
The one upside to this devastating Overwatch 2 update is that the PvE story content is still on the way, with only the endlessly replayable Hero mode and deep talent trees being scrapped. While these were two massive draws that justified the very existence of Overwatch 2 for many, a lot of fans cared most about the story content, so they will surely be glad to know that the cutscenes and campaign missions will still release. If Blizzard wants to start rebuilding the franchise’s reputation, it should avoid charging fans for this remaining PvE content.
Option 1: Making Overwatch 2’s Story Missions Free
While nothing was confirmed about the price model for Overwatch 2’s original PvE vision, fans assumed that they would have to pay a decent amount for the co-op content. Considering how much was set to be included within it, this would have been a fair ask, as players were getting a proper campaign mode as well as a deep side mode that they could enjoy. Unfortunately, that is no longer the case, so perhaps Blizzard should consider dropping the price tag entirely.
After all, players are not getting a full campaign in Overwatch 2 Season 6 when the PvE releases begin. Instead, Blizzard will be doing seasonal mission drops, slowly releasing pieces of the campaign in the months and years to come. While the developer could certainly charge for each batch of missions, that would likely just lead to more bad press for the hero shooter. If every player has access to the PvE for free, though, Blizzard could easily attract more players who do not have an interest in PvP but want to see if PvE will be up their ally. Once hooked, those players could end up buying skins or battle passes like everyone else.
Option 2: Tying Overwatch 2’s Story Missions to the Battle Pass
Considering that the original vision for Overwatch 2’s PvE was reportedly scrapped because it required too many resources and did not seem like a worthwhile investment to higher ups, it seems unlikely that those same people would support giving what is left of the PvE content away for free. As such, perhaps the best middle ground is to tie each batch of missions to the battle pass of whatever season they come from.
Perhaps gamers who purchase Overwatch 2’s premium battle pass could get early access to the full lineup of a season’s missions. The cost of the battle pass could remain the same, with Blizzard simply adding some value to its already strong battle pass system. This would likely stop fans from getting any angrier, as many already buy the battle pass and would not like the idea of spending even more to access some of the season’s content. Once a season is complete and a new season begins, the previous season's PvE content could become fully free-to-play.
Regardless of whether Blizzard makes the story missions completely free, or “free” for battle pass owners, it would be taking a step toward pleasing Overwatch 2’s disappointed community. Obviously, nothing short of reviving Hero mode and the talent trees would be enough for some lapsed players, which is fully understandable. Still, for those that still want to support the game, Blizzard, and the PvE story missions, a gesture like this would absolutely make an impact.
Overwatch 2 is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.