Season 9 Event 2024PvE + BetrayalLimited Time

Cosmic Crisis

Co-op PvE with a hidden traitor — can you trust your teammates?

Cosmic Crisis is a 4-player co-op PvE mission released for Season 9: Champions in February 2024, set on a modified Ecopoint: Antarctica overrun by Null Sector forces. What makes it unlike any previous Overwatch PvE experience is the Betrayal Mechanic: at the start of every match, one random player is secretly contacted by The Ravager — a mysterious cosmic entity — and offered the option to defect to the enemy side after the mission is nearly complete. If they accept, they switch factions at the critical final moment and must eliminate their three former allies before the group can escape. If they decline, the mission plays out as standard co-op. This optional traitor mechanic transformed a routine PvE mode into a tense game of paranoia, hidden loyalties, and trust — the only Overwatch mode where you genuinely cannot be sure your teammates are on your side.

February 13 – March 12, 2024; returned during Anniversary 2024 (October 1–8, 2024). Potentially returning in future seasons.

Roadhog, Sigma, Mei, Soldier: 76 +4 more

Modified Ecopoint: Antarctica

Objective

Work together to repair the crashed ship, defeat Null Sector enemies, and escape. Or — if contacted and willing — secretly defect, then eliminate your teammates before they can board the ship.

Key Mechanics

The Betrayal Offer

At the start of each match, one player is secretly messaged by The Ravager and offered the choice to betray. The offer is completely invisible to the other three players. The contacted player can accept or decline — if they decline, the match proceeds as standard co-op.

Mission Structure — Four Phases

Phase 1: Emerge from ship and fight initial Null Sector forces. Phase 2: Gather batteries via two randomized scenarios (Keycards: defeat 3 elite enemy waves; or Relays: destroy 3 defended relay points). Phase 3: Defend the ship during self-repair. Phase 4: Board the repaired ship — or the traitor defects and the final showdown begins.

Traitor Defection

If the contacted player accepted the betrayal offer, they jump into a tentacle hole when the ship is repaired and switch to the enemy faction. They must then eliminate all three remaining teammates before the group boards and escapes. The co-op team must now kill their former ally.

Weekly Modifiers

Three rotating weekly modifiers: Death from Above (artillery strikes target players), Molten Core (defeated Null Sector enemies leave lava pools), and Thunderstorm (players take damage from staying too close to Null Sector enemies).

Eldritch Hero Skins

All 8 playable heroes have exclusive cosmic horror-themed skins available only through the event: Horror Hog (Roadhog), The Beholder (Sigma), The Cursed Seer (Mei), Survivor: 76 (Soldier: 76), A Tentacle Horror (Torbjörn), The Endless Sight (Widowmaker), The Sanguine Curse (Ana), and the Mythic Ancient Caller Moira.

The Ravager

The Ravager is a mysterious antagonist who contacts the potential traitor. It has no physical cosmetic model but shares vocal and thematic similarities to Ramattra — suggesting a cosmic horror reimagining of the character.

Lore & Background

The Ravager character and the eldritch Null Sector variants suggest a parallel or alternate-universe timeline within the Overwatch narrative. The exclusive Mythic skin — Ancient Caller Moira — depicts her channeling cosmic horror powers, tying her to The Ravager's universe thematically. The Season 9 event was called Champions, and Cosmic Crisis served as its signature PvE experience.

Tips & Strategy

1Play the first three phases normally regardless of role — acting suspiciously early will alert the co-op team before the critical moment
2If you suspect a traitor is active, do not over-commit into the ship boarding animation — stay aware of teammates' positions
3As a traitor, delay your defection until your co-op allies are low HP from the final defense phase
4Sigma (The Beholder) is one of the strongest heroes for the traitor role — Accretion and Kinetic Grasp provide significant survivability in a 1v3
5During Molten Core modifier, retreat quickly when killing enemies to avoid standing in lava pools left behind
6During Thunderstorm, maintain spacing from Null Sector units rather than brawling at melee range

Quick Info

Event: Season 9 Event 2024
Mode Type: PvE + Betrayal
Availability: February 13 – March 12, 2024; returned during Anniversary 2024 (October 1–8, 2024). Potentially returning in future seasons.

Heroes

Roadhog
Sigma
Mei
Soldier: 76
Torbjörn
Widowmaker
Ana
Moira

Maps

Modified Ecopoint: Antarctica

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the betrayal mechanic in Cosmic Crisis?

At the start of every Cosmic Crisis match, one random player is secretly offered the choice to betray their teammates by The Ravager. If they accept, they play through the mission normally until the ship is repaired — then defect to the enemy faction and must eliminate all 3 former allies before they escape. If they decline, the match plays out as standard co-op.

Who is The Ravager in Cosmic Crisis?

The Ravager is a mysterious antagonist who contacts the potential traitor at the start of each match. It has no physical model in-game but shares vocal similarities and thematic elements with Ramattra — suggesting a cosmic horror version of the character from an alternate timeline or dimension.

What are the weekly modifiers in Cosmic Crisis?

Three modifiers rotate weekly: Death from Above (artillery strikes drop on player positions), Molten Core (defeated enemies leave damaging lava pools), and Thunderstorm (staying too close to Null Sector enemies causes electric damage). Each modifier requires meaningfully different positioning strategies.

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