Blizzard is charging $15 for Overwatch 2 story missions

Hero mode was supposed to allow players to take part in PVE battles where they have to defend an objective from the robot invasion. The mode would have allowed players to level up their heroes and earn customizations and attack modification options.

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Hero mode (and story missions, at that) was one of the main features that Blizzard showcased when it announced Overwatch 2 in 2019. Blizzard said that the existence of the PVE campaign was one of the main reasons they decided to make the sequel - and now it's cancellation makes Overwatch 2 being sold as a full game seem even more like a scam.

To add to the players' frustrations, executive producer Jared Neuss confirmed that the $15 bundle will only be for the first three missions. Players may have to pay again for additional future story missions in a business model that bastardizes the FPS genre even more than previously thought possible.

Players on the Overwatch subreddit have been expressing their frustration about the new story missions being locked behind a paywall. Many users see this move as a deliberate cash grab from the studio.

"Announcing that you are cancelling most of something right before you try to sell it isn't a good marketing strategy." user ceboww said.

"The expectation was a $40-$60 game with a full co-op campaign, hero progression and skill trees with a free to play multiplayer. Now it's however much they want spread out over years," user Artistic-Pitch7608 commented.

One user said that it would have been acceptable if Blizzard bundled the story mission with the $10 Battle Pass. Players can purchase the premium Battle Pass for 1000 Overwatch Coins. Another chimed in, saying that the new bundle has enough Overwatch coins to buy the Battle Pass. The user said that Blizzard is effectively selling the PVE missions for an extra $5.

Blizzard still has over a month before the release of Overwatch 2 Season 6. The company may opt to change the pay scheme for the new story missions given the backlash, though it is unlikely based on previous reactions, and lack thereof, to outrage from the community.

Overwatch 2 Season 6 is coming to PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch on August 6, 2023.