While the upcoming hero shooter is taking a smart approach by making new heroes like Sojourn available through Overwatch 2 beta testing, as this allows for early community feedback and balancing, it could prove to be too much of a good thing. If every new hero from Overwatch 2 features in the betas, as well as every new map, the eventual release of the game could feel far less exciting. As such, Blizzard should keep one new character as a surprise.
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A Perfect Reward For Overwatch 2’s PvE Content
The main thing setting Overwatch 2 apart from its predecessor is a PvE campaign. Alongside deep skill trees for the game’s heroes and hundreds of side missions, Overwatch 2’s story mode is poised to provide some memorable storylines and character development. It should also be used to hide a new hero from the public, with Blizzard debuting this hero at the very end of the campaign.
This could be the perfect way to introduce a new member of the Overwatch roster, as it could be a complete surprise if Blizzard leaves the character out of the game’s marketing. Similar to a shocking reveal in an MCU film, the character could debut during a post credits scene, pushing players to hop into multiplayer immediately to test them out. They could also join in during the final battle, winning the fight for the heroes of Overwatch or the villainous Talon - instantly making their presence known and shocking Overwatch 2 players.
There is also a case to be made for having this hypothetical secret character appear in the middle of the campaign, as it would give them time to interact with other members of the Overwatch roster. Players could get to learn their backstory across several missions, maybe even controlling them in a flashback. This would be a great change from what is usually seen with Overwatch’s storytelling. While animated shorts, comics, and in-game dialogue are plenty of fun, actually playing out a character’s origin story would be interesting.
A secret character would instantly make Overwatch 2’s PvE campaign more appealing to those that only care about PvP, as they would have a reason to give the co-op mode a proper chance. This would be a great way to ensure that both modes thrive, and beyond that, it would simply be a smart way to get the community talking. With Overwatch 2’s Twitch viewership not being the best, positive word of mouth will be important, and a new hero debuting in the campaign with no prior indication that they were on the way would be a huge deal.
On top of being an exciting surprise that motivates more people to play through Overwatch 2’s PvE campaign, it would guarantee that there is a brand-new hero once the game fully releases. If all the planned heroes for Overwatch 2 feature in upcoming betas just like Sojourn, then the game will have nothing new to offer beta testers on day one. Saving one new hero for the PvE mode and making sure the marketing has no hints that they are coming would be a risk, but it is one worth taking. Whether this is the omnic from Storm Rising’s ending, the Junker Queen, or someone else entirely, it would be great to see a secret character pop up in the campaign.
Overwatch 2 is currently in development.
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