How to access Overwatch 2 lore in-game

❘ Updated: 2024-02-14T17:11:15

Blizzard

During the Season 6: Invasion update of Overwatch 2, the game introduced a feature enabling players to explore its lore in-game. Here’s where you can find it all and catch up on the story thus far.

This is a notable departure from the previous seven years of Overwatch 1’s storyline, which mainly progressed through cinematics on YouTube and comics on the web, rather than through direct in-game storytelling.

While we saw a handful of PVE events paint a bigger picture and new locations in PVP always helped advance the story too, the series has finally evolved. With Overwatch 2’s first batch of PVE content now available, so too is an entirely new method of engaging with its story.

A proper lore database is now accessible directly in the game itself so here’s a rundown on how it all works.

There’s plenty of Overwatch lore just waiting to be read at Winston’s new command center.

How to access Overwatch 2 lore in-game

Accessing Overwatch lore is just a matter of navigating through the menus and selecting the ‘Missions’ option in the center of your screen. This immediately takes you to Winston’s desk, giving you a few unique options.

While you could go straight to a PVE mission with the monitor front and center, looking around opens up a range of bonus features including, you guessed it, new lore-friendly options.

Communications Archive

Up first on the right-hand side is Winston’s Communications Archive. This section lets players dig into new conversations between the lovable Tank and his fellow Overwatch allies. Whether it’s in email form, less formal messages, or even voice recordings, there’s plenty of information to unravel here before diving into battle.

The Communications Archive gives you a new look at Overwatch 2 lore through Winston’s personal emails and messages.

Intel Database

Meanwhile, on the left-hand side of the desk is a monitor for your Intel Database. This is where you come to get caught up on every little detail about the expansive Overwatch universe. From specific character backgrounds to nuanced excerpts about key locations, the lore of Blizzard’s series is fully at your fingertips here.

As you progress through the available PVE Story Missions, new intel will continue filling out the database as well, meaning there’s always something new to learn every time you come back to Winston’s desk.

There are dozens of unique lore entries to uncover here in the Intel Database.

No doubt the offerings on both sides will only continue to grow as new Story Missions become available in the seasons to come as well.