Overwatch 2 Season 5 looks absolutely packed, but I’m still lamenting the loss of the original PVE pitch

Overwatch 2 hasn’t been hitting the same for some

When I covered Overwatch 2 at its “release,” I was anxiously waiting for the major PVE element that would eventually come down the pipeline. It sounded absolutely fantastic and would have added a true PVE element to the game, something Overwatch sorely needed for longevity. Sadly, those plans were scrapped, and although the team is still excited about what they’re putting out, it’s not the same.

But all that is still a little ways out. For those of you who are still playing, here’s what to expect in Season 5.

More modes are booked for Overwatch 2 Season 5 as we wait for the big August 10 update

Dubbed “Questwatch,” a new “role-playing campaign” (micro-event) will commence, which allows players to discover the “magical kingdom of Overland.” “New chapters” are linked to Season 5 Battle Pass tiers, which is one of the iffiest sentences I’ve typed since the release of Overwatch 1. You’ll also have the opportunity to “defeat the Demon Lord” (Reinhardt) in a new community-created 1v4 mode, which also has “key quests” tied into it.

Here’s what those key quests actually do:

“Complete five of the Key Quests and you’ll unlock a treasure chest of 1,500 Currency, which can then be used to unlock your favorite past skins from the Hero Gallery. Plus you’ll earn as much as 20,000 XP in the Battle Pass!”

Sounds like a lot of busy work!

Oh, and if you were a big fan of the Summer Games event, it’s coming to Overwatch 2 in Season 5. Prop hunt will be a part of the Season 5 festivities too, via a 5v5 elimination mode that will have a “limited-time run” starting on July 25. An epic Ana skin and 50,000 battle pass XP are in it for you if you participate.

As for the big story/”campaign” additions, that won’t come until August 10.

Mystery Heroes mode will come back in Overwatch 2 Season 5

Just a few months ago, the Overwatch 2 team eliminated the “Mystery Heroes” mode (where players fight in randomized 5v5 teams) without warning. It was a tone-deaf decision, and it was met with an outcry among the community.

Thankfully, Blizzard has confirmed that it will be coming back in Season 5.

Competitive mode is getting revamped a bit

“Team Queue” will be introduced in Season 5, which lets groups of five play in Overwatch 2‘s “standard role lock ruleset” without the extra team restrictions. Players will be able to “compete and climb the ranked ladder together,” which is great news for folks who were previously locked out of the festivities.

To go along with those alterations, Mei is getting tweaked a bit, and the team “also made changes to playing against heroes with quick kill potential a little more fair to play against including Cassidy, Hanzo, and Widowmaker.” The Overwatch 2 team has provided their thoughts on the changes here.

Weekly Challenges won’t use a FOMO system starting in Season 5

Every publisher has a different strategy for rolling out weekly challenges. Some of them allow players to “bank” weekly challenges throughout an entire season, so you don’t have FOMO (fear of missing out) knocking on your door). Some publishers force you to finish them week to week, ensuring that players log in and engage with a limited amount of titles for key progression. Some oscillate between both (as Fortnite has done in the past).

But for Overwatch 2 Season 5, “any weekly challenges that are not completed by the time the reset hits will simply roll its progress over to your next week.” The team uses the phrase “starting in Season 5,” so hopefully this is a permanent change.