Overwatch 2's latest smash hit game mode will be available for an extra week, but not all of it.

Blizzard released Junkenstein's Lab in Overwatch 2 a few weeks back as part of a seasonal event for Halloween. This supposedly temporary mode quickly became a favourite among fans, mainly because it added hero traits rebranded into mutations. This gave a peek at some PvE-features that were promised but then abandoned years ago.

Blizzard released a balance patch to help rework certain heroes after Overwatch 2 director Aaron Keller revealed that the mode still attracted 15% of daily players weeks after its launch. Genji, Kiriko Mercy, and Orisa were the heroes that received the most significant changes. They all got buffs for their kit, with a focus on self-healing abilities and shorter cooldowns.

The best part of the balance patch for Junkenstein’s Lab was not the reworked characters, but the fact that Blizzard was taking the time and effort to fix the issues. I was one of the many players who saw this as an indication that the mode would be around for a while and perhaps even become a regular feature in the Arcade, rather than just a seasonal event. Now, I am even more hopeful.

The official Overwatch 2 X Twitter account announced that Junkenstein’s Lab would remain open for longer than originally planned: “The mad Dr. Junkenstein, thrilled by the success his mutations, is now looking for more volunteers to his experiments. The Junkenstein's Laboratory has been extended by an extra week. The lab will close its doors on 11 November.

It may be too much to ask for Blizzard to include Junkenstein's Lab in the Arcade. Blizzard will be introducing playtests of 5v5 and 6v6 modes during the second half of the season and the following year. It seems a waste to put Junkenstein's Lab on hold for another year.

Blizzard has not confirmed that this mode will be around indefinitely. This is all wishful thinking at the moment. While it's great to have another week of Junkenstein Lab, this doesn't mean that you'll get a second week to complete the event challenges.

Junkenstein's Lab has six challenges, the majority of which reward you XP if you play a certain number of games with different roles. Halloween Terror III's final prize is the Mutated Monster title for players who complete 50 games in the Halloween Terror III mode. There are only seven hours remaining to complete this mode.