Overwatch 2’s PvE Story Mission maps forced devs to build new tech due to its size

Overwatch 2’s new PvE Story Missions supposedly take place on maps so large that Blizzard had to engineer new streaming technology to make it all work.

It’s no secret that Overwatch 2’s PvE component has been rather troubled since its 2019 reveal. From Hero Missions being scrapped entirely, along with Hero talent trees too, and Story Missions now being drip fed across multiple seasons at a premium fee, it all looks very different from the initial pitch.

However, one thing that appears to have remained the same from the very beginning is the sheer scope of the new Story Missions. Rather than taking place on existing PVP maps like previous events, these new PvE experiences are set on their own vast battlefields.

As it turns out, these new maps are allegedly so big that Blizzard had to get creative in their solutions. The tech just wasn’t there to support maps of this scale, according to an exclusive preview from Game Informer.

Devs on the Overwatch 2 team had to “create all new streaming tech and develop new tools to make it work,” they claim.

During a hands-on gameplay session, just one mission alone, a chapter set in Toronto, took Game Informer a full 31 minutes to complete. That’s a significant jump from any previous PvE experience in the Overwatch series.

With a diverse range of enemy types to fend off, including brand new additions like Stalkers and Subjugators, along with new objectives to boot, there’s seemingly plenty going on in these PvE Story Missions. All of which is dropped into a single, gargantuan map as to prevent from any loading screens interfering in crucial moments.

Overwatch 2 players will be able to see for themselves when Season 6 arrives and brings with it the first batch of these PvE Story Missions. Rest assured, we’ll keep you updated with any further details as they emerge.