Blizzard wants you to pay for Overwatch 2 story missions

Update: June 13, 2023

Blizzard told GLHF via email that purchasing a story mission bundle is required to access Overwatch 2 story missions in general – not just to keep them around permanently. The bundles will remain available for purchase after a season ends at the same price.

The Null Sector battle pass is not a separate pass. It’s just the name of the Season 6 battle pass.

Original Story

Blizzard published an overview of Overwatch 2 story missions coming in the multiplayer game’s sixth season in a new blog post and they’re going to cost you. The overview briefly mentions a bit of what to expect in Season 6, Invasion, including new enemy types and story challenges in Toronto and Rio de Janeiro, and then it introduces the Invasion bundle with cosmetics and coins.

New cosmetic bundles are pretty typical of a new Overwatch 2 season, but the kicker here is this part: “Permanent access to the Overwatch 2: Invasion Story Missions.”

Blizzard didn’t elaborate on that, and I’ve reached out for comment. However, it sounds pretty much like story missions will disappear in each new season unless you pay up. Admittedly, it’s not clear how much replay value there is in these missions, and the rest of the bundle is pretty decent as well. You get enough coins to purchase the seasonal premium pass and a unique legendary Sojourn skin.

You also get access to Sojourn via completing a set of story missions, which is less impressive since new players can complete regular missions to unlock her. It’s also kinda pointless for anyone who isn’t new to the game, since they’re almost guaranteed to have unlocked Sojourn already.

There’s also a more expensive bundle that gets you an extra 1,000 Overwatch Coins, a legendary skin each for Kiriko and Cassidy, and access to the Null Sector battle pass with 20 level skips. The post didn’t say whether this Null Sector pass is an additional pass exclusive to story missions or if it’s just what the Season 6 battle pass is called. I asked for clarification about that as well, but didn’t hear back by the time of publication.

Meanwhile, Overwatch 2 Season 5 is underway, making quite a few changes to several popular heroes.

Written by Josh Broadwell on behalf of GLHF