Hello,
My friend just installed Overwatch today and has taken a liking to mercy. However when he found out that he missed the opportunity to get the snow angel skin by just a few days he became disappointed. So I thought to ask here to see if anyone knew if the skin will return next Winter Event.
Thank you,
Klondike
I highly doubt it. The challenge skins haven’t returned so far.
IIRC, the only time-limited skins that have returned (that were not originally scheduled to) were the Heroes of the Storm linked event skins.
I would point out that this is the first year that seasonal events have run the weekly challenges (starting with Summer Games). Until next year’s Summer Games event, we won’t know definitely if weekly challenge skins from the previous year can be collected.
One thing I will say though, is that do not expect the Demon Hunter Sombra skin to ever return.
That is a very good point. Heck, the first year we didn’t even know if the seasonal event skins would return every year.
I kind of get the feeling the challenge skins–as “challenges”–won’t though. Since the other challenge skins haven’t.
Given the fact that these challenge skins are only Epic skins and don’t celebrate any certain occasion (such as a OWL team or season MVP, or the Pink Mercy skin), I have a hunch (this is my own feeling, please do not take this as gospel), that these weekly challenge skins will return (except for Demon Hunter Sombra as that was also a BlizzCon skin).
Well, Nano Cola and Ana’s haven’t returned yet, and it’s been well over a year.
Nano Cola, Bastet… all epic skins… but yeah we’ll see.
And no worries, I totally understand we’re all just speculating right now. 
Possibly in the Anniversary event. Those let you get past skins for every event. They’ve only recently started to do these limited skins so who knows.
True and those come from the “Challenge mini-events” and those skins are listed with the promotional Bonus collection icon. 
So those are more likely to be legacy skins (and D.Va Nano Cola is listed as a legacy skin.) The seasonal event challenge skins are another story which we will have to wait and see on.
Adding onto your point WyomingMyst the skins are listed a Winter Event skins so I am hopeful.
Thank you all for your responses. It really means the world to me and my friend is now more hopeful in there return.
One thing to look out for is the Anniversary event where all skins from previous events are unlocked. It will be interesting to see if the event challenge skins will be included in the archives loot boxes.
You mean the anniversary. Archives only has archives items available.
Yeah, you caught me editing my post. 
It will probably be available next Winter season as a skin available for purchase, because it has a Winter icon and its purple rarity (more available than an orange legendary)
The only opposing thing is that we had to win 9 games for it, and wait for the week it was a challenge. It would make it a bit unfair if they put it up for purchase instead in the end. Defeats the purpose of it being a challenge.
I’m sure that it will probably be available for purchase next Winter Wonderland.
It’s very common for Blizzard to do this, but they are selective about which challenge skin will be available for purchase during a season. For example the Dr. Ziegler skin was a challenge skin, its orange and has a B icon next to it; those ones never come back. Also the Dr. Ziegler skin was fairly recent with the Snow Angel so I suspect Snow Angel will come back as a purchase skin.
For Overwatch it’s pretty uncommon. Can’t think of a skin that has ever returned. The Sombra one was already mentioned it would be, but other than that?
Sombra’s Demon Skin is Orange rarity and has a B icon, which is NOT available for purchase (not seasonal). Mercy’s Sugar Plum Fairy was a challenge skin from 2018 Winter and it now can drop from a loot box and I think it can also be purchased.
I will also add that seasonal skins can only be purchased or dropped from a loot box during an active season.