17 May 2023 , 10:23
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Activision Blizzard has confirmed that the original Overwatch 2 PvE mode has been cancelled in order to prioritise the live service game.
In a recent Overwatch 2 developer live stream, Activision Blizzard confirmed that its original plans for a story-focused PvE mode, Hero Mode, have been scrapped. The reason behind this has been disclosed as there being "no end in sight or defined end date" with development as clarified by Jared Neuss, who we interviewed about the game state earlier this year.
"So what that means is that we won't be delivering that dedicated hero mode with talent trees, that long-term progression, those things just aren't in our plans anymore," Neuss continued in the live stream. "We know that this is going to be disappointing for many people. To be perfectly honest, it's been really difficult for many of us, a lot of folks on the team have poured their heart and soul into that stuff."
Neuss went on to clarify on Twitter after the stream that despite Hero Mode being cut, there'll be elements that were originally promised incorporated into currently existing modes including the live service game, and into new modes like in upcoming single-player Hero Mastery missions.
This comes as a major shock given that one of the main purposes behind moving over from the original Overwatch to Overwatch 2 was due to the promised Hero Mode and campaign within it. However, a new roadmap tweeted out by the official Overwatch account shows that the new story missions which are set to replace Hero Mode will be coming in Season 6 which is expected to occur around mid-August.
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"You won't be disappointed"
Despite Brigitte's words, I can assure you, I'm disappointed. Of course, the core game mode of Overwatch 2 is the 5v5 battle mode as was the similar 6v6 mode of the original Overwatch title, but with any Hero based game, especially those where characters are consistently interacting with one another, you can't help but want to see more into the lore behind them.
Hero mode was supposed to give you that insight into the background behind your favourite character while still being able to play with friends as many people who play Overwatch 2 often do. And although the development team have promised that we will be seeing both "canon" and "not very canon" missions coming to the game, as Aaron Keller stated in the developer live stream, I can't help but grieve what Hero Mode could've been.