Blizzard has made a controversial announcement, confirming that players of Overwatch 2 will be required to pay in order to retain access to the game's story missions. The introduction of a PvE campaign mode was a major highlight when Overwatch 2 was first unveiled. However, Blizzard has since made significant changes to their vision for the game, shifting towards a free-to-play experience and abandoning the Hero Mode that would have allowed players to enhance playable heroes through dedicated skill trees.
Naturally, this change upset many passionate fans of Overwatch 2 who were looking forward to the Hero Mode. Despite the disappointment, there was some consolation in knowing that story missions were still on the horizon. Initially, it was unclear whether these missions would be temporary or permanent. However, Blizzard has now clarified that the story missions in Overwatch 2 are indeed permanent, albeit with a price tag of $15.
The upcoming Invasion update for Overwatch 2 will introduce three story missions set in Rio de Janeiro, Toronto, and Gothenburg. These missions promise "massive maps with complex objectives" and an "in-depth storyline." Players will find themselves pitted against the villainous Null Sector group, with the narrative continuing in subsequent game seasons. As a result, players who join Overwatch 2 in later seasons may not be able to experience the story missions from the beginning unless they purchase the Invasion Bundle, priced at $15. This bundle provides permanent access to the story missions, 1,000 Overwatch Coins, a Sojourn legendary skin, and access to Sojourn in other game modes. Furthermore, this pricing model may be applied to future story missions as well.
For those seeking a more comprehensive package, Overwatch 2 offers the Ultimate Invasion bundle. Priced at $40, it includes all the content from the regular Invasion bundle, along with the Null Sector Premium Battle Pass, providing 20 tier skips, an additional 1,000 Overwatch Coins, and legendary skins for Cassidy and Kiriko.
While some Overwatch 2 fans will be pleased that story missions are being introduced to the hero shooter, others will undoubtedly be disappointed to learn that permanent access to the game requires purchasing a bundle. As long as the bundle remains available for purchase in the shop, new players joining in later seasons will still have the opportunity to experience the story from the beginning, provided they are willing to pay $15. Nevertheless, it comes as no surprise that this decision has already sparked significant backlash.
Overwatch 2 is currently in early access and available on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.