On May 16, 2023, Blizzard delivered a shocking announcement. After years of fans eagerly awaiting a story-driven PvE Hero mode for Overwatch 2–a mode the studio showcased repeatedly in its promotional material and marketed as a major new pillar for the beloved game–Blizzard announced it was scrapping the idea.
It’s no exaggeration to say that fans reacted swiftly and negatively to the news, myself included. Following the announcement, there was one question that I kept coming back to: Without the inclusion of Hero mode, what set Overwatch 2 apart from its predecessor? It didn’t make sense to me to create a new game with a “2” in the title that merely felt like a patched version of what came before–not to mention one so similar yet so removed from the spectacle and heart that made the first game one of my all-time favorites.
It’s been nearly six months since that announcement. And after six months of wondering–six months of feeling my affection for the game ebb and flow as I watched the studio push head-spinning microtransaction prices alongside beautifully designed characters–I finally got the chance to ask that very question to the game’s executive producer.