Overwatch 2’s new Symmetra event is another example of a recurring issue

As of late, Overwatch 2 is still a highly controversial topic in the gaming world, despite a recent blog post from game director Aaron Keller that attempted to clear up any misconceptions about the upcoming content. The disappointing news that Hero Mode’s promised long-term progression has been scrapped has led some Overwatch 2 players to boycott the game altogether. Blizzard is actively working to regain the trust of its player base with developer updates, a new content roadmap, and new challenges, but only time will tell if it will succeed.

In what may be an attempt to bring its players back, Overwatch 2 launched Symmetra’s Seeds of Order event just days after PvE was announced. This directly followed the Starwatch: Galactic Rescue mode, which mixed PvE and PvP components into a non-canonical plot. While it was an interesting experience, most players finished Starwatch challenges in just a few games and were left with no incentive to play further. Symmetra’s Seeds of Order campaign encountered a similar issue, as the tasks were too easy and therefore completed too quickly.

The Battle for Olympus mode returned alongside Symmetra’s Seeds of Order mini-event, though both faced very different issues. Overwatch 2’s Battle for Olympus challenges have been accused of being too demanding with unsatisfying rewards, while it seems Blizzard has adjusted too much to make Symmetra’s tasks too simple. The six challenges don’t seem to have much of a personality of their own, as they only require completing twenty-four games in total, with wins granting double progress.

In contrast, the LTM Battle for Olympus event asked players to earn 2,100 eliminations on different heroes to win all seven titles. This resulted in some players becoming frustrated with the lengthy challenges. It could be that Blizzard is trying to make free skins more widely available through new events after the microtransactions behind most skins were widely criticized in Overwatch 2’s debut.

The play-to-win skins model is reminiscent of the mini-events in Overwatch prime, but Blizzard needs to be careful with its events if it wants them to have an identity of their own. While it’s satisfying for players to receive a new Symmetra Gardner skin, a voice line, and a Garden Gnome Souvenir, it might not have happened enough in the Symmetra Seeds of Order campaign. Some stated that the game mode was too repetitive with its oversimplified challenges and no overarching theme when playing.

However, if Blizzard stays true to its plan, there is hope for future events as Overwatch 2 Season 6 will have co-op story missions that will have “story, cinematics and cutscenes”. The first Overwatch Pride event, arriving on June 1, also has potential, although it mostly focuses on cosmetic rewards like new player icons and name cards. Team Quatro commented in a group interview that they intend to expand the Pride event in future iterations, possibly adding new game modes and special lines for characters.

Regardless, Overwatch 2’s upcoming events will need to be engaging as the studio is facing an uphill battle. Of course, this isn’t the first time the Overwatch franchise has struggled, and it likely won’t be the last. But the latest content roadmap, along with the promise of new heroes, reworks, and upcoming story missions, might be enough to keep its player base going.

Overwatch 2 is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S.