RIP Overwatch 2's Long-Awaited PVE Hero Mode
"Overwatch 2" fans are in shock, as the developers behind the game have announced their intention to scrap the original vision for its PVE "Hero Mode." During a midseason update stream on Twitch, director Aaron Keller and executive producer Jared Neuss went over the roadmap for the game's upcoming content. It was here that the team revealed it would not be moving forward with much of content was first announced as part of the game's PVE experience during BlizzCon 2019.
There doesn't seem to be much hope that these things will make it into the game in the future, either. During the livestream, Jared Neuss explained, "With everything we've learned about what it takes to operate this game at the level you deserve, it's clear that we can't deliver on the original vision for PvE that was shown in 2019. What that means is that we won't be delivering that dedicated Hero Mode with talent trees, that long-term power progression. Those things just aren't in our plans anymore."
Keller and Neuss later further clarified these comments in a chat with GameSpot. They explained that shifting the focus away from this so-called "Hero Mode" has allowed the team to better focus its attention on the live elements of the game, as well as better craft single-player story missions that will flesh out the overarching story of the "Overwatch" universe.
Fans respond to the cancelation of Overwatch 2 PVE
Fans have taken the news of the Hero Mode cancelation pretty hard. The live chat log on Twitch quickly filled up with disappointed reactions, while others took to social media to express their frustration. Some have gone so far as to say that the devs have just canceled the only logical reason for making the sequel in the first place. Others have turned their pain into memes, clowning on the idea that "Overwatch 2" is basically a less-interesting version of the original game.
Aaron revealing what Overwatch 2 actually is pic.twitter.com/DkIz2E3XPu
— coriscaa (@coriscaa) May 16, 2023
Whether you agree with that sentiment or not, the fact remains that a great number of players feel as though "Overwatch 2" was a bit of a bait-and-switch. Some fans are mad at themselves for getting their hopes up back in 2019. Others have asked that fans keep in mind that human beings are working on this game, and will continue to do so well into the foreseeable future. As noted by Bloomberg's Jason Schreier, "Maintaining a live service game is hard enough without building a totally new game on top."
I'll be reporting plenty on Overwatch 2 in the future, but for now: Maintaining a live service game is hard enough without building a totally new game on top, which is hard enough without constant company crises, which is hard enough without massive attrition. Worth some empathy
— Jason Schreier (@jasonschreier) May 17, 2023
It remains to be seen how the upcoming single-player missions and battle passes will fare with players, but there's definitely a feeling of trepidation heading into the next era of "Overwatch 2."