Overwatch 2 director comments on PvE mode cancellation and the game's future

Overwatch 2 has been dealing with issue after issue pretty much since day one. From launch hiccups to Battle Pass complaints, fans have been quite disappointed with how things have gone so far. Unfortunately, that situation only got worse with Blizzard announcing the cancellation of Overwatch 2’s long-in-development PvE mode.

Following that news and a massive wave of complaints from fans, Overwatch 2 game director Aaron Keller has shared a blog that addresses the controversy, discusses the PvE mode decision, and gives a look at where the game is heading.

Keller starts off by making it clear that while Hero Missions mode has been completely scrapped, Story Missions are still in the works. Story Missions focus on fast-paced, co-op gameplay, as well as story, cinematics, and cutscenes that expand the world of Overwatch.

Story Missions tell a linear narrative about the heroes of Overwatch reuniting and battling the new Null Sector threat, pushing the story of Overwatch forward for the first time since the original game released. These missions take place on huge maps with new enemies and new cinematics. Blizzard plans to releasing these in Season 6.

As for Hero Missions, Keller says the team “had announced something audacious” and players “had high expectations for it.” Unfortunately, the team no longer felt like they could deliver on the promise, so they made the difficult decision to scrap Hero Missions.

Keller has a lot more to say in the full developer blog, which you can read here.