Facepalm: When Blizzard initially introduced Overwatch 2, its Player-versus-Enemy co-op Hero mode was one of many main justifications for sticking the quantity 2 into the title. The sport’s newest roadmap reveals Blizzard has scrapped these plans, turning the sequel into one thing a lot nearer to the unique and eliminating considered one of its main promoting factors.
Blizzard just lately confirmed that it now not plans to launch the long-anticipated co-op Hero mode for Overwatch 2. Like its predecessor, the sport will focus totally on aggressive multiplayer with occasional co-op occasions.
Overwatch 2’s 2019 announcement detailed Story Missions and Hero Missions, which might develop the storyline that has been a main draw for Overwatch followers. The Hero Missions would let teams of gamers defend maps from invading robots whereas leveling as much as earn new talents known as Talents.
Blizzard deliberate to promote Overwatch 2’s PvE content material because the premium-priced main course whereas letting Overwatch 1 gamers transition to the sequel’s multiplayer at no further price. That providing modified when Overwatch 2 launched final 12 months as a free-to-play aggressive sport that changed its predecessor, whereas Blizzard promised to launch the co-op mode later.
The firm’s newest content material roadmap confirms that Story Missions will nonetheless arrive with season 6. However, Blizzard canceled the paid Hero Missions and Talent system comprising the majority of the co-op content material. As a outcome, Overwatch 2’s co-op mode will probably resemble the unique title’s rare PvE occasions.
In an interview with GameSpot, Blizzard mentioned it made the shift to keep up the tempo of new multiplayer content material releases, which had slowed because of work on the Hero Missions. According to sport director Aaron Keller, it could have taken a number of extra years to launch the originally-planned co-op mode whereas siphoning growth assets from the currently-available multiplayer.
Keller acknowledged that Blizzard determined to change gears round a 12 months and a half in the past. It had realized it could not fulfill its preliminary plans by the point it launched Overwatch 2 final October.
Particularly regarding is Keller’s admission that work on co-op triggered Blizzard to cease releasing content material for the unique Overwatch over the past leg of its life. With a lot of the co-op now gone, many gamers might query why Blizzard transitioned to Overwatch 2 in any respect.
Alongside the unlucky information, the roadmap reveals that season 5 features a new occasion known as Questwatch, a new cinematic, the creator workshop mode, and extra. Season 6 provides the primary story missions, a new help hero, a new Flashpoint map, Hero Mastery, a new firing vary, a participant development system, and extra. Season 7 introduces a tank hero, a new management map, the lore codex, and different content material.