Summary
It seems thatOverwatch 2is really starting to get in the swing of things with its in-game Seasons. Of course, these Seasons are important in keeping things fresh and maintaining player engagement, and the past criticisms of a lack of content variety within them are dispersing thanks to the recent Season 7, with the inbound Season 8 also making a wide range of improvements and additions.
With that being said, there has been one glaring omission from Season 7 and 8 ofOverwatch 2that the future Season 9 needs to rectify, above all else. This concerns the lack of PvE story missions withinOverwatch 2’s recent in-game seasons, with this branch of content having its own controversial history that makes any other problems feel more severe. While the sheer amount of content in Seasons 7 and 8 may have excused the lack of PvE story additions, as well as Blizzard trying to take in Invasion feedback, Season 9 needs to pick up the slack before it is too late.
Season 9 of Overwatch 2 Would Be Perfect For New PvE Experiences
It is no secret that thetransition from the originalOverwatchto its sequelwas a controversial one, with many fans lambasting the similarity between the two games as being undeserving of a fully-fledged new release. One of the main saving graces thatOverwatch 2originally had to combat this criticism was its intention to feature a large-scale PvE campaign that would include hundreds of side missions and skill trees for every hero, with a deep focus on lore and character development.
While this was an element ofOverwatch 2that initially won many fans over, it was later announced that the full-scale campaign was to be scrapped in favor of story missions that provide lore but lack replayability. It took untilSeason 6 ofOverwatch 2for Blizzard to finally deliver on its promise of PvE missions, with it taking a full 10 months after release for this form of content to start appearing. As things stand, this is the full Story Mission list forOverwatch 2:
Season 9 of Overwatch 2 Does Not Have the Same PvE Excuses as Seasons 7 and 8
WithOverwatch 2only receiving three Story Missions since its 2022 release, it is no wonder that fans are demanding that this form of content is expanded to give the game a greater sense of identity. Season 7 ofOverwatch 2can be forgiven for not including any PvE Story Missions, as it was closely linked to the title’s annual Halloween Terror event and a large-scale crossover with theDiablofranchise.
This heavy Halloween theme may have conflicted with any potential PvE Story Missions that could have come with Season 7, and Season 8 has its own reasons for not featuring Story Missions of its own.Season 8 ofOverwatch 2is set to launch on December 5, officially being named Call of the Hunt, with a mythological beast theme running throughout its cosmetics and overall content.
Most importantly is that Season 8 ofOverwatch 2is slated to introduce a brand-new tank hero named Mauga, a Samoan cyborg with a larger-than-life personality. A new hero is always huge news forOverwatch 2, and it only seems right that Season 8 should primarily be dedicated to letting fans get used to Mauga and how the new hero may impact the metas of the title.
However, once the dust settles after Season 8’s end,Blizzard should finally turn its attention back to PvE experiences. Season 9 would be the perfect time to do this, and it could easily lean into involving Mauga in its Story Missions to further flesh out the new character. With fans growing more restless over the longstanding controversy surroundingOverwatch 2’s PvE promises, Season 9 needs to introduce brand-new Story Missions that Season 7 and 8 missed out on.
Overwatch 2
WHERE TO PLAY
Overwatch 2 is an always-on and ever-evolving free-to-play, team-based action game set in an optimistic future, where every match is the ultimate 5v5 battlefield brawl. Power up your railgun and disrupt the battlefield as Sojourn, or yield your axe and command attention as Junker Queen. Battle to take control of a robot and move it toward the enemy base in the new Push Mode. Bring the fight to new destinations across the globe in iconic locations like New York, Rome, Monte Carlo and Rio. Daily challenges and frequent updates mean there is always something new to play.
