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Overwatch Archives 2021 revisits first three stories... again

Overwatch Archives has returned! And by that, we mean the first three sets of Overwatch Archives missions are back with no new lore to be found.

Ozzie Mejia

April 6, 2021 11:00 AM

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Before Overwatch can jump into its future, Blizzard must revisit the team's past. Once again, it's time for another round of Overwatch Archives, the annual event that spotlights the game's lore, specifically its past. New skins, along with other rewards, will be made available over the course of this event, though the manner in which players earn these rewards will undergo a few changes.

Prepare to experience the past while fighting for the future.

The Overwatch Archives are back starting April 6! pic.twitter.com/whwjyGL9T2

— Overwatch (@PlayOverwatch) April 4, 2021

If you're looking for all-new lore-based missions, you're likely to be disappointed. As was the case last year, this year's Overwatch Archives will not offer new story content. Instead, players will once again experience the Uprising, Retribution, and Storm Rising missions. The variants that debuted last year will return along with one new modifier for each set of missions. Here's what players can expect:

• Week 1
  • Double credit for Overwatch Archives: Uprising
  • Molten Cores: Enemies drop Lava on death
  • Glass Cannon: Players have 50% less health and increased damage
  • Bulletproof Barriers: New for this year, this modifier features invulnerable enemy barriers.
• Week 2
  • Double credit for Overwatch Archives: Retribution
  • Surgical Strike: Only critical hits do damage to enemies
  • Close Quarters: Enemies can only be damaged if a player is nearby
  • Sympathy Gains: A new modifier for this year, damaging enemies will heal other other enemies.
• Week 3
  • Double credit for Overwatch Archives: Storm Rising
  • Blood Moon Rising: No Support heroes and healing is reduced. Heal yourself by doing damage.
  • Storm Raging: Some Enemies are enraged. Killing them spreads the rage.
  • Thunderstorm: New for this year, enemies that deal damage will also deal damage to surrounding players.

Rewards will be available throughout this three-week event. However, instead of winning games, players will have to earn stars, which they get by playing through Overwatch. Missions do not necessarily have to be completed to earn stars, so if you fall short, no worries. Each week, players will earn a player icon at 10 stars, a spray at 20 stars, and an Epic skin at 30 stars. The first week's skin will be Corredor Lucio, the second week will offer Subaquatic Zenyatta, and the third week will feature Camouflage Mercy. Five more Legendary skins (Cavalry Tracer, Mousquetaire Widowmaker, 1776 Soldier: 76, Polyanitsa Zarya, and Bushi Genji) will also be available through the standard loot boxes.

While the cosmetics look cool, Overwatch players will undoubtedly be disappointed by another year without new Overwatch lore. But anything lore-related looks to be on hold until the eventual release of Overwatch 2. Unfortunately, Overwatch 2 still isn't coming anytime soon, so for now, just enjoy what's out there. Updates on the sequel's progress will eventually come and Shacknews will be here to cover them, so stay tuned for the latest.

Ozzie Mejia

Senior Editor

Ozzie has been playing video games since picking up his first NES controller at age 5. He has been into games ever since, only briefly stepping away during his college years. But he was pulled back in after spending years in QA circles for both THQ and Activision, mostly spending time helping to push forward the Guitar Hero series at its peak. Ozzie has become a big fan of platformers, puzzle games, shooters, and RPGs, just to name a few genres, but he’s also a huge sucker for anything with a good, compelling narrative behind it. Because what are video games if you can't enjoy a good story with a fresh Cherry Coke?