Overwatch 2 Likely Won’t Revive Archives Missions Due to Code Issues

The Uprising, Retribution, and Storm Rising missions from Overwatch 1 have yet to make a return in Overwatch 2. According to Blizzard, these missions broke during the development of the sequel’s PvE content, and fixing them would require a complete rebuild. This process would take significant resources, and Blizzard remains uncertain if it is worth the effort.

The History of Overwatch Archives
Overwatch Archives was a yearly event introduced in 2017 that featured unique PvE scenarios telling key stories from the game’s lore. The Uprising, Retribution, and Storm Rising missions debuted between 2017 and 2019, while later events in 2020 and 2021 simply added new achievements and rewards. Since the launch of Overwatch 2, however, these missions have been absent, leaving completionists unable to earn achievements tied to the event.

Why Archives Missions Won’t Return
In an interview during the Overwatch 2 Spotlight event, game director Aaron Keller explained why these popular missions never returned. When content creator Emongg asked about them, Keller revealed that “as we were working on everything with the PvE side of the game, you end up building all these new tools, you have this whole new code base to where everything gets refactored, and [the Archives missions] all broke.” As a result, Overwatch 2 would need to completely remake these missions to bring them back, and Blizzard is unsure if it is worth the resources.

The State of PvE in Overwatch 2
Keller also addressed the current state of PvE in Overwatch 2, acknowledging setbacks in how Blizzard originally intended to tell the game’s story. The dramatic reduction in PvE scope, lukewarm reception to Season 5’s Story Missions, and the loss of key PvE developers during the Microsoft layoffs in 2024 have all hurt the game’s narrative direction.

Despite this, Keller remains hopeful. “Internally, we have this intention to get back to narrative and to get back to story,” he said. “There’s nothing to announce at this point, but we’re really hopeful that we can get back to not just storytelling, but hopefully a way of moving the world state forward.” He noted that Overwatch 2 currently features many “disparate stories” and that the team wants to push the narrative forward in a more cohesive way.

The Future of Overwatch 2’s Storytelling
While the return of Overwatch Archives seems unlikely, Blizzard may still develop new PvE missions or explore other storytelling methods. Keller even suggested that an Overwatch 2 animated series would be an exciting possibility, stating, “It would be awesome to get something like that. I would love it, and I think the whole team would love it.”

Although there are no confirmed plans for new PvE content, Keller’s comments suggest that Blizzard is not abandoning Overwatch 2’s story entirely. Fans may not see the return of Archives missions, but the possibility of new narrative-driven content in the future still exists.