Overwatch 2 still has a "lot of great PvE content coming this year" says producer

Genji shows off his mythic skin by throwing his suriken at the camera while in a cyberpunk city — (Image credit: Blizzard)

Overwatch 2 still has a "lot of great PvE content coming this year," promises a senior developer.

Yesterday, Blizzard announced that Overwatch 2's dedicated PvE mode had been cancelled, with dramatically less of the promised PvE content from 2019 making it into the final game. Now though, Overwatch 2 executive producer Jared Neuss has clarified that while the dedicated PvE mode is cancelled, the sequel will still see plenty of new PvE content.

A clarification that I wanted to make is that, while we made the decision to cut Hero Mode + Talents, we have a lot of great PvE content coming this year.Big story missions, new cinematics, co-op events and single player Hero Mastery missions are all on the way. https://t.co/8aGvlBqVR0May 17, 2023

Chiefly, Neuss writes on Twitter, "big story missions, new cinematics, co-op events, and single-player Hero Mastery missions" are still on the way for Overwatch. It seems that Neuss' tweet reveals that while the grand vision of the PvE mode for Overwatch 2 is effectively dead and gone, some planned PvE content is still in the pipeline.

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Overwatch 2's PvE mode was originally billed as a "hero mode," with its own distinct progression systems for different characters. Alongside the announcement yesterday, game director Aaron Keller stated that "the original vision for Overwatch 2" was changed to "get something in front of players sooner." It looks like Blizzard will wait a little while longer to reveal this revamped PvE content.

After the announcement hit yesterday, Overwatch 2 players were taking the news pretty hard. Because bespoke PvE was pitched as a founding element for Overwatch 2 back when it was revealed in 2019, players are now wondering why Overwatch 2 even exists at this point, particularly as the game has often struggled to distinguish itself as a sequel and not just a big patch.

Overwatch 2's community is pretty disappointed with Blizzard's news, but it's clear the developer isn't throwing out everything they've been working on for the dedicated mode.

Check out our best free games guide if you're on the hunt for another free-to-play online game in the wake of Overwatch 2.

Hirun Cryer is a freelance reporter and writer with Gamesradar+ based out of U.K. After earning a degree in American History specializing in journalism, cinema, literature, and history, he stepped into the games writing world, with a focus on shooters, indie games, and RPGs, and has since been the recipient of the MCV 30 Under 30 award for 2021. In his spare time he freelances with other outlets around the industry, practices Japanese, and enjoys contemporary manga and anime.