Game Director Aaron Keller shared in his December Director’s Take that Overwatch 2 is gearing up for some major updates. Fans curious about what 2025 holds for Overwatch 2 can look forward to a competitive scene in Season 15 that will bring “a bit of a shakeup like [Team 4] did at the start of 2024.” While specific details are still under wraps, players are optimistic that Blizzard will keep building on the game’s lore in the future.
It’s a bit disappointing that the narrative aspect of Overwatch 2 has been sidelined since Blizzard chose to remove the PvE missions that were introduced in Season 6. Although there are comics and short stories to explore, the storytelling within the game itself feels quite restricted. If Blizzard were to adopt a storytelling style similar to that of Marvel Rivals, it could really captivate lore fans and enhance the in-game universe.
Marvel Rivals Invests in Its Story
Marvel Rivals Delivers Compelling Hero Stories
Marvel Rivals enjoys the advantage of being linked to a prominent intellectual property, giving the game access to a rich array of characters from the Marvel multiverse. It’s easy to see why the developers opted to enhance these stories through the MARVEL RIVALS comic series, seasonal events, and unique hero narratives.
To explore the unique stories of each hero, head over to the “Lore” tab in a “Hero Profile.” There, players can read a brief overview of their character’s history and motivations, along with three unlockable hero stories on the right side. While it’s uncertain if NetEase Games will introduce additional hero stories after unlocking all three, it appears probable given the current flow of Marvel Rivals’ narrative.
Every hero has a unique story that differs in length and intricacies, contributing to the overarching narrative of Doctor Doom’s timeline experiments. For example, Mantis’ adventure highlights her bold escape from The Collector, where she also frees Psylocke and Jeff the Land Shark. Meanwhile, Loki’s tale unfolds his cunning plans during the turmoil of the Timestream Entanglement, as he experiments with Yggdrasil’s sap and teams up with Hela to seize the throne of Asgard.
Overwatch 2 Should Introduce Its Own Version of Hero Stories
Although Blizzard has decided to drop the narrative for Overwatch 2’s PvE missions, there are still plenty of ways to keep the story engaging. The game includes a Missions Codex, but it doesn’t provide a complete narrative experience. Fans of Overwatch 2 were looking forward to the second half of the missions, which, according to BlizzCon 2019, would have featured Suravasa as a key story location. Many players were excited to see Overwatch members reunite or meet for the first time, especially in light of Ramattra’s motivations with Null Sector. There’s a lot of potential for hero stories to explore these dynamics.
In 2024, Blizzard experienced significant layoffs that affected Lead Narrative Designer Gavin Jurgens-Fyhrie along with numerous other staff members. However, Jurgens-Fyhrie shared in a now-removed post on X (previously Twitter) that the story was at least somewhat complete. He expressed, “I love the story we created for this, and I hope it gets shared one day.”
While books such as Overwatch: Declassified – An Official History offer hints about the potential development of the in-game narrative, they don’t provide the same level of accessibility as integrating hero stories directly into the game. By introducing unlockable stories within the game, similar to Marvel Rivals, it would be easier to engage fans of the characters. This method would also open up exciting possibilities for further story expansion.