Overwatch ArchivesPvE Story

Overwatch Storm Rising

Chase Talon's accountant through the streets of Havana, Cuba.

Overwatch Storm Rising is the third and final Overwatch Archives PvE story mission, introduced in April 2019. Players control a strike team of Tracer, Winston, Mercy, and Genji as they pursue Maximilien — Talon's financial omnic and the key to locating Doomfist — through the colorful streets and a distillery interior of Havana, Cuba. The mission introduces Maximilien's first in-game appearance (previously seen only in a 2017 comic), and features early cameos from Sojourn and Ramattra as NPCs before either became playable heroes in Overwatch 2. Storm Rising also introduces challenge missions with unique modifiers that significantly alter the gameplay experience.

Returns annually during the Overwatch Archives event (April)

Tracer, Winston, Mercy, Genji, Any Hero (All Heroes Mode)

Havana, Cuba (special Storm Rising variant)

Objective

Chase and capture Maximilien through Havana, fighting through Talon forces across open streets, a city center plaza, and a multi-level distillery building.

Key Mechanics

Three-Zone Structure

Storm Rising progresses through three distinct areas of Havana: an open street approach, a city center plaza, and the distillery building's multi-level interior. Each zone has different terrain challenges for low-mobility heroes.

Talon Enemy Roster

The same enemy types from Retribution return: Snipers, Assassins, and Heavy Assault units. Storm Rising also introduces a small payload escort segment where the team must protect a vehicle from Talon ambushes.

Challenge Missions

Three unique modifiers: Thunderstorm (enemies emit damaging lightning to nearby players), Blood Moon Rising (support heroes removed; all healing comes from dealing damage), and Storm Raging (some enemies become enraged; rage spreads to nearby enemies on death).

Distillery Multi-Level Layout

The final phase takes place inside a distillery with walkways, staircases, and platforms across multiple floors. Heroes without vertical mobility (Reaper, Torbjörn, etc.) struggle more here than in the open streets of the earlier phases.

Revive System

Same co-op revive system as Uprising and Retribution. All four players going down simultaneously ends the mission. Blood Moon Rising challenge removes support heroes entirely, requiring the team to build compositions around self-sustaining damage dealers.

Difficulty Tiers

Four difficulties: Normal, Hard, Expert, Legendary. Completing Legendary with All Heroes Mode and no incapacitations earns the "Eye of the Hurricane" achievement — considered one of the most challenging PvE accomplishments in the Archives trilogy.

Lore & Background

Sent by Sojourn, Soldier: 76 leads a strike team to capture Maximilien — Talon's financial omnic accountant — believing he is the key to locating Doomfist. The mission marks Maximilien's first in-game appearance and features pre-playable cameos by Sojourn (as mission handler) and Ramattra (a Null Sector omnic seen in a cutscene). Havana was simultaneously added as a permanent PvP Escort map.

Tips & Strategy

1Winston's Barrier Projector is extremely valuable in the open street phase — it creates safe bubbles for the team to fight from
2On Blood Moon Rising challenge, build your team around heroes with strong self-healing: Soldier: 76, Reaper, Moira, Genji
3When Storm Raging is active, kill enraged enemies carefully to avoid spreading rage to dense clusters of fresh enemies
4Genji's mobility makes him ideal for navigating the distillery's multi-level layout — he can engage and disengage from any floor instantly
5Tracer's Recall is invaluable for avoiding Heavy Assault charges in the narrow distillery corridors
6Clear Assassins before they reach the team in the distillery — the multi-level terrain makes chasing a pinned ally significantly harder

Quick Info

Event: Overwatch Archives
Mode Type: PvE Story
Availability: Returns annually during the Overwatch Archives event (April)

Heroes

Tracer
Winston
Mercy
Genji
Any Hero (All Heroes Mode)

Maps

Havana, Cuba (special Storm Rising variant)

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is Overwatch Storm Rising?

Overwatch Storm Rising is the third Archives PvE story mission. Players control Tracer, Winston, Mercy, and Genji chasing the Talon omnic Maximilien through Havana, Cuba. It is the most visually distinctive Archives mission with vibrant Cuban architecture, and the only one with a payload escort segment.

Who is Maximilien in Overwatch?

Maximilien is Talon's financial omnic who manages the organization's accounts and investments. He is a key asset for locating Doomfist and makes his first in-game appearance in Storm Rising. He previously appeared in the 2017 Doomfist: Masquerade comic.

What is the Blood Moon Rising challenge in Storm Rising?

Blood Moon Rising removes all support heroes from the player roster. Instead of traditional healing, players regenerate health by dealing damage to enemies. This forces entirely self-sustaining team compositions and dramatically increases the difficulty of healing-dependent playstyles.

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