Overwatch players can now access the Archives 2021 event in-game, and there have been a few fine additions made in the update. Fans were quick to share an outpouring of support for Genji’s Bushi skin, with many loving the Samurai-inspired armor design donned by the Cyborg Ninja. McCree’s new Anniversary emote has also dazzled fans, as it features a unique mechanic that actually impacts gameplay.
However, outside of highlights like Genji’s new look and McCree’s clever emote trick, the latest Overwatch event has been met with harsh criticism from fans. There are a few key reasons for this, with both the cosmetic items and the event’s PvE content being considered a letdown by many. While it is following the same pattern as the other recent Overwatch events, it seems like fans have had enough of the current event style.
A Mixed Bag Of Cosmetic Items
While there are a good number of head-turning skins in the event, not all are getting attention for positive reasons. Lucio’s biker-themed skin, for example, has been criticized for not fitting with the character’s usual style and personality. Mercy’s new Camouflage skin has proven particularly divisive, as many have renamed it the “Karen” skin due to its bob haircut. Several memes have followed this renaming, with the negative reception to the re-design making it one of the most talked about parts of the event. While Zarya’s medieval armor, Genji’s Samurai skin, and Zenyatta’s diver look have been praised, the other skins are proving less popular with fans.
This shows clearly in the batch of legendary historical skins for Widowmaker, Tracer, and Soldier 76. Tracer fills the role of British cavalry, Soldier 76 becomes an American revolutionary, and Widowmaker dons the guise of a French mousquetaire. While all these skins look good, and having one of them each year would have likely led to some satisfied players, all of them coming at once has frustrated fans. While the skins do have small touches to make them unique, they all look the same overall. Each character sports a hat and a similar uniform, frustrating fans due to the lack of diversity. With the trio of cosmetics taking up three slots that could have been used on more unique looks, this is understandable.
The Same Lineup Of PvE Missions
The larger issue with the Archives 2021 event is its main feature, however. It features the same three missions from the previous Archives events, with players able to replay Uprising, Retribution, or Storm Rising with or without modifiers. These missions are as fun as they have ever been, and while many fans will be happy to replay them, others are let down by the lack of new content. For two years in a row now, the Archives event has not featured any fresh missions.
Much like the situation regarding new Overwatch heroes, this is intentional on the part of Blizzard. After all, it makes sense to save any mission ideas — flashback or otherwise — for the PvE-focused sequel. However, this has left fans feeling burnt out, as the last few years of Overwatch events have brought little new content outside of skins. With this version of Archives also requiring that players earn stars from missions to unlock the Weekly Challenge skins, not having a new mission to grind out is making things feel even more repetitive for the game’s community.
Blizzard is in a tough place at the moment when it comes to supporting the original Overwatch, as it needs to balance making content for the next game while simultaneously updating the first one. Still, with the road to Overwatch 2 seemingly being a long one, Blizzard needs to find a better way to keep Overwatch fans interested. Based on the reaction to Archives 2021, it seems like the current strategy of recycled events is not succeeding at doing this. While an extra mission would have helped in this particular situation, other events have struggled due to a lack of fresh Brawls. A similar drought of maps has hurt the game a bit, too, ensuring that the event is just the latest example of an ongoing issue with Overwatch.
Overwatch is available now on PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.