Some companies just can't stop taking the L, can they? Blizzard teased (again) a PVE campaign for Overwatch 2 at the Xbox Games Showcase, which initially got players excited but now the studio revealed that you have to pay up to play the new content. 

In a new blog post, Blizzard announced that the first three story missions for Overwatch 2 will be locked behind a paywall. Players need to purchase the new Overwatch 2: Invasion Bundle for $15 to access the new story content.

The new bundle contains access to the three new story missions, 1000 Overwatch Coins, a new Sojourn Legendary skin, and permanent access to Sojour as a playable character after finishing the Story missions.

Blizzard also announced the Overwatch 2: Ultimate Invasion Bundle for $40. This premium bundle gives all the benefits of the above-mentioned one plus the Null Sector Premium Battle Pass with 20 tier skips, another 1,000 Overwatch Coins, and Two Legendary skins for Cassidy and Kiriko.

Unsurprisingly, this new paywall announcement did not sit well with players. Many were already disappointed when Blizzard announced last month that it would be canceling the planned PVE Hero mode. Locking the new story missions behind a bundle just adds to the frustrations of gamers.

Hero mode was supposed to allow players to take part in PVE battles where they have to defend an objective from the robot invasion. The mode would have allowed players to level up their heroes and earn customizations and attack modification options.

Hero mode (and story missions, at that) was one of the main features that Blizzard showcased when it announced Overwatch 2 in 2019. Blizzard said that the existence of the PVE campaign was one of the main reasons they decided to make the sequel - and now it's cancellation makes Overwatch 2 being sold as a full game seem even more like a scam.

To add to the players’ frustrations, executive producer Jared Neuss confirmed that the $15 bundle will only be for the first three missions. Players may have to pay again for additional future story missions in a business model that bastardizes the FPS genre even more than previously thought possible.

It's for the first set of three missions.

— Jared Neuss (@OhReallyJared) June 14, 2023

Players on the Overwatch subreddit have been expressing their frustration about the new story missions being locked behind a paywall. Many users see this move as a deliberate cash grab from the studio.

"Announcing that you are cancelling most of something right before you try to sell it isn't a good marketing strategy." user ceboww said.

"The expectation was a $40-$60 game with a full co-op campaign, hero progression and skill trees with a free to play multiplayer. Now it's however much they want spread out over years," user Artistic-Pitch7608 commented.

One user said that it would have been acceptable if Blizzard bundled the story mission with the $10 Battle Pass. Players can purchase the premium Battle Pass for 1000 Overwatch Coins. Another chimed in, saying that the new bundle has enough Overwatch coins to buy the Battle Pass. The user said that Blizzard is effectively selling the PVE missions for an extra $5.

Blizzard still has over a month before the release of Overwatch 2 Season 6. The company may opt to change the pay scheme for the new story missions given the backlash, though it is unlikely based on previous reactions, and lack thereof, to outrage from the community.

Overwatch 2 Season 6 is coming to PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch on August 6, 2023.