Overwatch 2: Invasion PvE guide - events, missions, rewards, and more

Overwatch 2’s long-anticipated PvE content has finally arrived in the shooter’s latest update. It may not be exactly what fans were hoping for—check out my quick review for more thoughts on that—but it’s still a big addition to Blizzard’s popular hero shooter.

So what should you expect from this attempt at Overwatch 2 story mode? Read on for a full guide to all of the missions and rewards for Overwatch 2: Invasion.

WHAT IS OVERWATCH 2: INVASION?

Overwatch 2: Invasion is the latest season to hit the game and one of the most significant events in the franchise since the debut of the title itself. In this season, the Null Sector robots have started their conquest of the world and it’s up to the Overwatch crew to bring them down.

This season introduces a brand-new character, fresh cosmetics, an updated battle pass, and the long-awaited PvE mode that fans like myself have been waiting for the past couple of years. The campaign includes three short story missions with different objectives and maps to explore. These missions also offer rewards like character voice lines, sprays, and experience points.

HOW MUCH DOES OVERWATCH 2 CAMPAIGN MODE COST?

Although Blizzard has promised to continue adding PvE content in the future, the current debut of Overwatch 2’s PvE mode only features three story missions. The campaign costs $15, but that purchase comes with enough Overwatch Coins to purchase the latest battle pass, which makes the pricing feel a little more worth it. There’s also a limited-time event that introduces new co-op PvE missions, but that’s free for everyone. Details about this limited-time event are down below.

WHAT MAPS ARE INCLUDED IN OVERWATCH 2: INVASION PVE CONTENT?

The missions are set in Toronto, Gothenburg, and Rio de Janeiro, with each map being totally brand new and unique. The first mission takes place in Rio de Janeiro where the Overwatch crew joins Lucio to retake the city from robots. Following this, the team joins Sojourn in Toronto to escort civilians away from danger, while the last mission in Gothenburg sees Torbjorn and friends protecting his home from another Null Sector attack.

WHAT HEROES ARE PLAYABLE IN OVERWATCH 2 STORY MODE?

Not every hero in Overwatch 2 is playable across these missions unfortunately. All of the Talon members like Widowmaker and Reaper aren’t playable, while some characters like Zenyatta and Ramattra aren’t either. Only the official Overwatch members, as well as some new recruits can be played in this campaign.

In the first mission, players can only pick Reinhardt, Winston, Echo, Genji, Mei, Tracer, and Lucio. The second mission has a lot more variety with heroes like D.Va, Reinhardt, Zarya, Winston, Cassidy, Echo, Genji, Mei, Pharah, Sojourn, Tracer, Baptiste, Brigitte, Lucio, and Mercy being available to play for the mission in Toronto. The final mission however, has the least amount of characters to choose from, with Torbjorn, Reinhardt, Brigitte, and Bastion being the only choices.

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO BEAT OVERWATCH 2 PVE MISSIONS?

Don’t expect the campaign to last a long time. At the base normal difficulty setting, it’ll only take around two hours or less to complete the campaign, with each mission lasting anywhere between twenty-five to thirty minutes.There are a total of four difficulty levels for Overwatch 2: Invasion missions, so there is at least some light replayability.

OVERWATCH 2 PVE MODE PLOT - WHAT HAPPENS IN THE OVERWATCH: INVASION STORYLINE?

These three missions dive into Ramattra’s desperate conquest to take over the world for the future of Omnics, as he doesn’t see humankind being able to coexist with his robotic brothers and sisters. With the help of Null Sector, Ramattra has begun his worldwide assault on multiple cities and only the reunited Overwatch team can stop him. There’s a lot of juicy lore and hidden secrets nestled in the campaign and event menu, so keep an eye out for anything that might seem interesting.

WHAT REWARDS CAN YOU UNLOCK IN THE OVERWATCH 2 CAMPAIGN MODE?

For the price of $15, players can earn unique character voice lines for Brigitte, Torbjorn, Winston, Sojourn, Echo, and Lucio by playing through the Overwatch 2 PvE mode. The Invasion content also includes nine cool sprays and three charms to unlock. It even provides enough experience points to reach level 90 in the battle pass, which is extremely handy. And not only that, but after completing the campaign and a few story mission challenges, players will get a legendary skin for Sojourn, as well as unlocking that character.

The only catch is that these rewards are locked behind challenges that require completing certain objectives, such as finishing a mission on legendary difficulty or winning with three different heroes. If you’re always up for a challenge like me, it won’t take too long to collect everything in the campaign... It’ll just be a bit hard.

WHAT DID BLIZZARD REMOVE FROM OVERWATCH 2 CAMPAIGN MODE?

If you’ve been playing Overwatch since Blizzard announced the PvE mode, you’ll find that this debut doesn’t have a lot of what the company initially promised. In fact, a lot of cool features were removed or canceled in the making of this campaign. Blizzard originally had plans to add talents that would alter characters’ abilities and make them more exciting to play. These talents were one of the key features that players were eager to relish in the new PvE mode, but due to varying development reasons, it was eventually scrapped.

The company was also planning to introduce more story missions and co-op PvE modes for players to enjoy with others. Blizzard had plans to feature way more missions across alternate versions of different maps, as well as other objectives and challenges to freshen up gameplay. It's possible that some of these more ambitious ideas could be added to Overwatch 2 PvE mode in the future, but for now this is all we get.

WHAT CAN YOU DO FOR FREE IN OVERWATCH 2: INVASION?

A limited-time co-op event is currently running and will introduce new missions for all players—even those who didn’t purchase the PvE mode—over the course of the next three weeks. Only one of these free missions is currently available. It takes place on the King’s Row map, where heroes are tasked with retaking London from Null Sector’s legion of robots. The next mission is due to be released soon.

This event features some cool rewards to collect too. Players can earn four sprays, one account title, and voice lines for Tracer, Soldier: 76, Zenyatta, and Ashe. The event also provides a free legendary skin for Brigitte and 30 battle pass levels.

WHO IS THE NEW OVERWATCH 2 HERO IN INVASION? ILLARI’S ABILITIES AND BACKSTORY EXPLAINED

If co-op PvE missions aren’t something you’re interested in, maybe you’d rather try out the new playable character. Illari is the latest support hero to join Overwatch 2, hailing from the Inti Warriors of Peru. After tragically killing her entire tribe because of her uncontrolled sun-based powers, Illari now hones her talents as the last Solar Protector to honor her people.

Illari wields both defensive and offensive abilities. She can heal others using her solar rifle, which shoots out a beam of light, replenishing an ally’s health. Illari can also throw a healing pylon that attaches to a surface and automatically heals allies within range. Her offensive abilities allow Illari to knock enemies back with an explosion, and she can dash in a certain direction.

Illari’s ultimate ability is where she shines the most. She can send out an orb of solar energy to mark enemies and damage them. If an enemy receives one hundred damage, the mark explodes, dealing additional damage both to that enemy and anyone else caught in the blast radius.

Illari is currently playable in unranked and arcade matches and performs very well with heroes like Zarya, Sigma, and Orisa. She can also be unlocked via the seasonal battle pass.

[Written by TapTap editor Jay Hunter]