Overwatch 2: Invasion is coming, and people are hungry to know more – thankfully, Blizzard has published a girthy article on their blog that breaks down the details of what we can expect when the narrative portion of Overwatch 2 begins, as well as some talk of money and its purpose in regards to the content.
Story Missions 💥
New co-op mode 👥
New Support hero ⛑️
And more 👀Get ready for all-new ways to play in #Overwatch2: Invasion, our biggest content drop yet, coming Aug 10 ✨ pic.twitter.com/5kKpmewDpq
— Overwatch (@OverwatchEU) June 12, 2023
So the blog introduces that the PvE will take place across some brand new, massive maps specifically built for the story experience – detailing that new and unique enemies will be present and a very real threat.
Then there is the introduction of pricing information, which was never a shock to me – however it’s communication leaves a lot to be desired. The initial information is as follows:
You can get started on your mission to save the world with the Overwatch 2: Invasion Bundle for $15 USD. This bundle includes:
- Permanent access to the Overwatch 2: Invasion Story Missions
- 1,000 Overwatch Coins (equal to the Premium Battle Pass, $10 USD value)
- A brand-new Sojourn Legendary skin ($19 USD value)
- Permanent access to Sojourn as a playable hero for new players: unlocked upon completing Story Mission challenges.
Now, the first dotpoint is specifically highlighted on the Blizzard website. It could almost be interpreted that the PvE missions would be available to play with zero cost to anyone for a limited time – before being vaulted like so many other Overwatch events. The unique thing here is that it appears that Blizzard is willing to sell a key to the vault for $15USD (alongside other goodies).
I actually reached out to a Blizzard representative to clarify, and their response was clear:
It’s correct that access to Story Missions are part of that bundle. This includes access to the content during the season, and permanently after.
So these bundles are not supplementary content, but rather an actual price of admission with added goodies. As mentioned above, I always expected that PvE content would be monetised in some way – people seem to keep forgetting that Overwatch 2 is a free to play title nowadays, with all the horrid trimmings – and if you break down the bundle, it’s somewhat generous.
Of course, no amount of perceived value will tempt those who do not wish to spend money ingame – and to my knowledge, this marks the very first instance of properly gated gameplay content within Overwatch 2.
Now, the initial response to this has been… unsurprising. Many are lamenting that the game has further cordoned off the content that justified Overwatch 2’s identity as a sequel – with many rightfully asking what the point of the ‘Watchpoint Pack’ may have been – seeing as the preorder item did mention that it offered access to ‘further content’ later down the line.
I will be keeping my eye on this as it develops, if only to see if perhaps Blizzard considers offering some form of ability to unlock the missions with in-game currency, or a similar system to encourage reward for gameplay. Perhaps free trials of the story missions? So people can actually try before they buy?
For those that are comfy parting with their coin, they can also drop $40USD on a ‘Overwatch 2: Ultimate Invasion Bundle’, providing access to everything in the basic bundle, and including:
- The Null Sector Premium Battle Pass with 20 Battle Pass skips ($30 USD value)
- An additional 1,000 Overwatch Coins, for a total of 2,000 Overwatch Coins ($20 USD value)
- Two additional Legendary skins for Cassidy and Kiriko ($38 USD value)
Value for money, if you are a fan of digital goods? Or perhaps a Cassidy mega fan?
It will be curious to see how this all plays out, considering that PvE still remains a divisive subject for the long term Overwatch community. I guess we will learn more as we approach June 21, when Blizzard livestreams their Overwatch 2: Invasion Reveal.
How do you feel about the pricing on PvE access? Let us know in the comments or on social media.
