Overwatch Archives Event Returns With New Skins

Overwatch's Archives event has returned and it gives players the chance to earn new skins, complete weekly challenges, and more from now until April 27. Archives is an annual event that brings cooperative PvE campaign-like missions into the hero shooter and this year is no different. It brings back the Overwatch: Uprising, Overwatch: Retribution, and Overwatch: Storm Rising missions into rotation, each complete with a set of challenges to complete while playing. While doing that, players will have the chance to complete new weekly challenges and unlock five new Legendary skins and three new Epic skins. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=overwatch-archives-2021-event-all-new-skins&captions=true"] "Heroes never die," a press release about this year's Archives event reads. "Experience Overwatch's storied past in this year's Archives event, featuring a new weekly challenge reward system and new Archive missions — now live on PC, Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch. Don't forget to log in from April 6 to April 27 to lock and load new cosmetics into your collection." The three Epic skins new to this year's Archives event can be earned by completing weekly challenges that go live each week of the event. The first week is now live and will run through April 13. You'll earn stars for simply playing the PvE missions in the Archives event and after earning 30 stars, you'll earn the Epic "Corridor" Lucio skin. Earn 30 stars in between April 13 and April 20 to earn the Epic "Subaquatic" Zenyatta skins and finally, earn 30 stars in between April 20 and April 27 to earn the Epic "Camouflage" Mercy skin. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/04/17/overwatch-storm-rising-opening-cutscene"] Here's a full rundown of what you can expect during the Archives event:

• New Cosmetics: Legendary "Bushi" Genji skin, Legendary "Calvary" Tracer skin, Legendary "Mousquetaire" Widowmaker skin, Legendary "Polyanitsa" Zarya skin, Legendary "1776" Soldier: 76 skin, Epic "Camouflage" Mercy skin, Epic "Corredor" Lucio skin, and the Epic "Subaquatic" Zenyatta skin.
• New Player Icons
• New Reward System: Instead of winning nine games, you'll now earn stars as you play, although you do not need to complete a mission to earn stars. The harder the mission, the more stars you'll earn. You'll unlock cosmetic rewards each week after earning 10 stars, 20 stars, and 30 stars.
• Weekly Challenges: Each week of the event brings new challenges based on earning stars. Each PvE mission will include mods such as Molten Cores, for example, which causes all enemies to drop lava upon death. Players will earn double credit for playing the Uprising missions during Week 1, double credit for playing the Retribution missions during Week 2, and double credit for playing the Storm Rising missions during Week 3.

  Overwatch's 2021 Archives event is already live on all platforms and it will run until April 27. If you've never taken part in the Archives event, check out this video of 13 minutes from one of the events' PvE missions. After that, check out IGN's updated 2020 Overwatch review and then read this story about 55 new Overwatch 2 details recently revealed at BlizzCon 2021. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes.