Unveiling Overwatch 2's Ultimate Time-Killing Solution: Blizzard's Masterstroke!

Highlights

Fans will have to wait until 2024 for more Overwatch 2 campaign levels, as no more story missions will be released in Seasons 7 or 8.

To address the content drought and enhance the co-op experience for Overwatch 2 players, it is recommended that Blizzard reintroduce the Archives event from the original game. By incorporating the three Archives missions into Overwatch 2, the number of PvE levels would be doubled, thereby offering an expanded range of gameplay options and granting new players the opportunity to fully embrace the content.

Those who have been following Overwatch 2's PvE content are well aware of the advantages and disadvantages. After the disappointment of skill trees and hero missions being canceled, Blizzard released Invasion a few months later. While some fans were disappointed that these missions were behind a paywall and could be completed quickly, the content itself is impressive. However, in Season 7, Blizzard will be taking a break from PvE releases in Overwatch 2, even though it doesn't have to. It has been confirmed that there will be no story missions in Seasons 7 or 8, leaving fans waiting until 2024 for new campaign levels. While this gives Blizzard time to address feedback from Invasion, it also means that co-op gameplay enthusiasts will have nothing new to enjoy, unless Blizzard includes the co-op content from the original Overwatch, which is currently missing in the sequel.

Bringing Back Archives For Overwatch 2 Could Make The Wait Between PvE Drops Less Painful

Blizzard's successful implementation of co-op gameplay in the original Overwatch is one of the reasons why fans were thrilled to see Overwatch 2 fully embracing PvE. The seasonal event called Archives in the first game introduced players to PvE content, starting with the level Uprising, which depicted Tracer's inaugural mission. This was followed by Retribution, which focused on Blackwatch, and the third and final mission, Storm Rising, introduced Ramattra and set the stage for the sequel's storyline.

In the original Overwatch, it made sense for co-op missions to be seasonal content, as Blizzard did not have a dedicated menu section to house these missions permanently. The limited availability of Archives, occurring only once a year, made the missions feel special and eagerly anticipated when they appeared. The Anniversary event allowed players to enjoy the missions twice a year, ensuring that they still appeared regularly. However, Overwatch 2 will not feature an Archives event, and based on the roadmap, Archives missions will not be returning during the 2023 Anniversary event.

Blizzard's decision not to make Archives playable in the Anniversary event could be due to a plan to reintroduce the missions later on. However, there is no indication of this at the moment. Nevertheless, it should definitely be considered. A possible solution for Blizzard is to incorporate the same cutscene technique used in Invasion to keep the file size of Overwatch 2 small, while also offering PvE fans an additional gameplay experience. The existing Overwatch 2 Missions menu could easily accommodate a flashback section, allowing players to access older missions within the game's timeline.

While some longtime players may have already exhausted the three Archives missions in the original game, there are millions of players who were introduced to the franchise through Overwatch 2. Moreover, with the game being free-to-play, new players will continuously join and explore the game. All these fans deserve the opportunity to play the Archives content, as the battles against Talon and the old Omnic bots provided a unique experience compared to fighting Null Sector. These missions also featured their own captivating cinematics and stories, as well as modifiers that added replay value.

Adding these three missions to the Archives would immediately double the number of PvE levels in Overwatch 2, providing a significant increase in content. Introducing these missions in Season 7 or Season 8 could help alleviate player frustrations from the prolonged wait for new story content. While some players would experience these Archives missions for the first time, veteran players could be rewarded with fresh cosmetics through Overwatch 2's challenge system. Additionally, incorporating lore codex entries based on these classic missions could add depth to the system. Since the Archives content already exists, there is no valid reason for Blizzard to not integrate it into the current game.

Overwatch 2 is currently available on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.