Overwatch 2 Is Removing Another PvE Mode, Saying It 'Hasn't Resonated With Players'

[DogOfViolence]

Blizzard Entertainment is removing Overwatch 2’s Hero Mastery Gauntlet PvE mode as it felt it “hasn’t resonated” with players.


The developer announced the news on its forums, explaining the reasoning behind its decision in a statement. Starting with Season 11, the Hero Mastery Gauntlet, a round-based tower defense mode that sees players team up against robots, will no longer be accessible.

Hero Mastery Solo Courses will remain available as a single-player offering, with more courses promised to arrive in future seasons. You can see the full statement below:


“Greetings heroes,

As we prepare for Season 11, we’ve taken the time to evaluate a variety of game modes based on how much they are being played. Hero Mastery Gauntlet was intended to bring the high score-chasing excitement of Hero Mastery missions into a multiplayer format. Unfortunately, it hasn’t resonated with players in the ways that we hoped. With this in mind, we have decided to discontinue Hero Mastery Gauntlet as a permanent mode, and it will not be available to play starting in Season 11.

Players have until the end of Season 10 to complete the Lifetime Challenges for Hero Mastery Gauntlet and compete on the mode’s Top 500 leaderboards.

Thanks to all of you who jumped into the Gauntlet. If you are still looking to improve your hero skills, Individual Hero Mastery Solo Courses will continue to be available, and there will be more Hero Mastery Solo Courses coming in upcoming seasons. We’ll see you in-game!”


Hero Mastery Gauntlet launched in March 2024, meaning it will have only been available for around three months before it’s dropped. Although the mode has been criticized by many, some are disappointed not only because it’s leaving so soon, but because it represents another scrapped PvE mode in the history of Overwatch 2.

In May 2023, Blizzard announced it would no longer be adding the long-promised PvE Hero mode to Overwatch 2. It had been touted as one of the biggest changes for the franchise, which was largely known for its PvP content, since Overwatch 2 was originally announced. Director Aaron Keller eventually apologized for the change of course, calling the mode an “exciting but gargantuan vision.”

Overwatch 2 launched in 2022 as a sequel to Blizzard’s original hero shooter. While we enjoyed it upon its release, giving it an 8/10 in our review, the hero shooter follow-up has changed in a few major ways in the last few years.

Following the decision to shutter the Overwatch League late last year, Blizzard announced that it would make new heroes available to all players to enjoy instead of locking them behind a premium battle pass purchase. The company made good on that promise with Season 10, delivering all past playable characters and its newest Damage hero, Venture, available to all.


The current season runs for another 28 days, meaning you have just less than one month to squeeze out that last bit of fun from Hero Mastery Gauntlet before the co-op mode is gone for good. For more on Blizzard’s future, you can read up on the cancelation of BlizzCon 2024 and check out the new Overwatch 2 Porsche crossover event.


Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He started writing in the industry in 2017 and is best known for his work at outlets such as The Pitch, The Escapist, OnlySP, and Gameranx.

Be sure to give him a follow on Twitter @MikeCripe.