Overwatch still has some life here in 2021, as a new event has just kicked off in the game. The ParchiMarchi challenge is running from now until March 22nd, adding nine brand new items. This gives players a perfect reason to come back during the long wait for Overwatch 2.
The ParchiMarchi Challenge was announced yesterday, but the new items weren't shown off until today. Each of them is based on the adorable in-universe mascot, Pachimari, and they are unlocked in a fairly simple and accessible way compared to the Overwatch holiday events.
The new items include six new sprays, a Pachimari Hat icon, a Pachimari Junkrat emote, and of course, the Pachimari Roadhog skin. The six sprays can be unlocked by simply logging into the game before March 22, featuring Pachimaris dressed as Junkrat, Zenyatta, Winston, Doomfist, Sombra, and Hanzo/Genji. The other three items are unlocked by simply winning matches in Quick Play, Competitive Play, or the Arcade; three wins unlocks the icon, six wins unlock the emote, and nine wins unlock the Epic-tier Roadhog skin.
Similar Ovetwatch limited events such as these have happened before, so it is nice to see that the trend is continuing even as Overwatch continues to wind down. Sometimes, adding a skin unrelated to a major holiday can be just as exciting as any major new content update. Junkrat and Roadhog aren't necessarily the most marketed Overwatch characters, so an event focusing on their hijinks with a new emote and skin respectively is certainly nice to see.
This different method of unlocking skins during smaller events is certainly a nicer option than locking them to loot boxes like the holiday events usually do. Overwatch 2 seems to be changing a lot when it comes to hero balance, stages, and the gameplay loop, but one can also hope that it changes how the loot system works as well.
If the ethical concerns of loot boxes weren't enough reason to change it, there's also the issue of Overwatch's loot system being slower and less engaging than other games. Grinding for a legendary skin, only to get one for a hero that you never play, is such a deflating feeling. One can hope that these smaller events are possibly a hint at an adjusted system in the future, allowing more freedom in what rare items one can equip to their favorite heroes.
Overwatch is available now on Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.