Overwatch has launched its Season 5 mid-season update, delivering significant content beyond standard seasonal adjustments. The update reintroduces Junkrat's Loot Hunt alongside another round of the Excavation Initiative. A major narrative event titled Taking Reign is set in Rialto, concluding Vendetta's recent rise and fall from power. This five-week event features 24 tiers of rewards split between a free track and a paid pass costing 1,000 Overwatch coins, or approximately $10.
The free track includes an epic Sigma skin recolor, while the paid track unlocks Vendetta's new weapon and a legendary Doomfist skin. The event centers on a clash between Doomfist and Overwatch, occurring after Vendetta was presumably imprisoned following last week's animated story. Additionally, Blizzard has adjusted competitive drives for this season; players can now earn points by winning matches or lose them upon defeat. These drives are no longer exclusive to competitive mode, allowing players to earn signature tags in competitive play or legacy weapon points in quick play. Upon reaching the fourth checkpoint, players may equip signatures from previous seasons.
A notable addition is an unexpected collaboration with Shift Up's action game, Stellar Blade, under the Eve Protocol banner. The crossover runs through November 17 and features five skins available exclusively in the shop with no free event rewards. The lineup includes Widowmaker as Eve, D.Va as Lily featuring a Toki design based on a late-game boss, Freja as Raven, Vendetta as Tachy, and Soldier: 76 as Adam.
In other cosmetic news, Roadhog receives his first Mythic skin, titled Necrotic Knight, marking a milestone following his popular revamp at the start of Season 5. The base version depicts Roadhog in silver and toxic green armor with a plague doctor-style mask. While historical plague doctors used these beaks to store herbs, the update suggests Roadhog's contents are less wholesome. Higher tiers of the skin offer scarlet armor decorated with jade ropes and a large skull mask.
Sources: Polygon.