Monitoring has done its best to maintain momentum after the forgettable first season of its Reign of Talon relaunch, with some neat weekly additions, needed improvements to the 10th anniversary event, and the return of hero cards that are all coming in season 2. With season 3 fast approaching, the launch of yet another hero and a brand new map will be something to look forward to. However, there's always room for a good game to be made even better, and one way to do that for this particular hero shooter would be to look to the past.
To be fair, there are a handful of classics Monitoring features that it would be nice to see again. For example, hero events, where players grind to unlock a special cosmetic tied to a character's comic or short story, are sorely lacking. Also, while brand new PvE content is unlikely given the post-Invasion retirement of story missions, the effort to rebuild the beloved Archives missions in the current engine would cause the community to celebrate. But both of these things require a lot of time and resources, while what I would like to see back is much easier. Specifically, I'd like to see the first new batch of Monitoring Trophies and achievements to chase since 2023.
…given that the Cute and Pixel spray challenges are still there for each new hero, I don't understand why the trophies ever ended.
Overwatch's Lifeweaver was the last hero to come with trophies
While MonitoringThe faster release schedule for heroes has caused fans to lament the loss of startup cosmetics for each hero, achievements tied to character additions disappeared long before the hero release cadence changed. The final set of achievements arrived alongside support hero Lifeweaver on April 11, 2023, and while both Weaver Believers and completionists may have enjoyed chasing these unlocks, they stopped being added when fellow healer Illari came to the game a few months later.
What's so strange about it? Monitoring achievements that are going away is that Blizzard, to my knowledge, never announced they were going away or said why they would no longer be added. Perhaps the data showed that there simply wasn't enough engagement with these extra achievements to justify adding them – I'm well aware that not everyone is addicted to Trophy hunting on PlayStation like me and that it's a niche hobby. Still, considering the Cute and Pixel spray challenges are still there for each new hero, I don't see why the trophies ever ended. Surely it can't be too hard to add them when the challenge is already coded into the game for an item in the hero gallery, so their disappearance is really a headscratcher.
While those who don't care about achievements haven't noticed that they stopped being added, those of us who do were disappointed years ago and hoped they would reappear with each subsequent one Monitoring update. By now, many fans may have forgotten they were even a thing, but 1,000 days later, I'd still love to see them make a comeback. If they did, any player who has the Cute spray, the Pixel spray, or both would be able to have the achievements unlocked automatically, while those without the sprays could get the extra push they need to complete the hero-specific tasks. Plus, it just used to make every hero drop feel a little more grand, so it'd be nice to see that vibe come back.
Overwatch Trophies follow the pattern of restoring the glory days of the franchise
Much like the return of hero cards after the match, Monitoring Removing the 2 from its name felt like a smart bit of nostalgia, and bonus achievements coming back would be a similar kind of move. Sure, not everyone cares, but there are certainly other players like me who wish these little unlocks were still around. Not everyone cares about achievements, and not everyone cares about sprays, but the two sprays and Trophy unlocked at the same time made completing the task feel a little more rewarding. Monitoring is all about the power fantasy of making players feel like they're controlling a superhero, so adding one more little thing to say “good job” once they start mastering a hero would be a welcome addition.
- Released
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August 10, 2023
- ESRB
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Teen/Violence, Blood, Mild Language, Tobacco Use, User Interact, In-Game Purchases (Includes Random Items)
