Archives are back in Overwatch’s 2.84 patch.
Overwatch players won’t be shocked to discover that Archives did not come with any new game modes or campaigns, but Blizzard has some new twists on old Challenge Missions to spice up your weekend, including Molten Cores and Close Quarters.
Molten Cores sees eliminated opponents erupt into molten lava, a la Torbjorn’s ultimate. In Close Quarters, enemies are only vulnerable when you’re up close, which is already Reaper’s life anyway. An upgraded version of Retribution, Uprising, and Storm Rising will be available each week from March 12 to April 2.
“Experience story-driven co-op missions from pivotal moments in Overwatch history. While the event is active, earn Archives Loot Boxes containing skins, highlight intros, emotes, and sprays inspired by moments from Overwatch’s past,” reads the notes.
Blizzard has also gifted players with more skins
One legendary skin features Junkrat blinged out in gold with a king’s hat, most likely the loot he stole from the Junker Queen. Roadhog, on the other hand, is dressed in camo head to toe, sporting a grenade on his belt. Zarya’s looking sporty in her new skin, complete with neon green shoes and bright blue elbow pads.
These skins come alongside some awesome emotes, and will be available to unlock or buy until the event ends in April.
Patch 2.84 also comes with some balance changes. One noticeable one is for Baptiste. His boots now charge .3 seconds faster, allowing for a quicker getaway in a crisis. Sigma also saw his movement increased. The new tank now flies around 30% faster during his ultimate. On the other side of things, D.Va saw a slight nerf to her mobility. The Korean superstar has a four second cooldown for her Boosters now, instead of the previous three seconds.
Mei was also nerfed, but it most likely won’t be enough to stop her from being a favorite amongst competitive players and Overwatch League competitors. Her Ice Wall now has a 13-second cooldown, adding three seconds. Players can also now fit through one-pillar gaps in the wall. This will make it a bit easier for incoming teams to get around her, but for most people, it’s her ability to freeze two or more players at once that makes her OP.
Orisa’s primary fire now does 11 damage instead of 10. When it comes to firepower, Solder: 76 also saw a buff. The ever-serious soldier’s Helix Rockets now have a cooldown of six seconds, down from eight. Sombra also saw her SMG buffed, with the weapon’s spread being reduced.
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