Overwatch is no stranger to holiday-themed events that offer players new cosmetics and game modes. Overwatch’s 2020 Halloween event offered just that, with plenty of themed skins and an original Halloween game mode called Junkenstein’s Revenge.
Now that December is here, it’s time for Overwatch’s annual Winter Wonderland event to arrive for players across all platforms. Winter Wondereland 2020 begins today, featuring plenty of holiday and winter-themed skins along with a brand-new game mode called Freezethaw Elimination.
First off there are some new cosmetics that players participating in the event can unlock. Winter Wonderland 2020 introduces five new legendary skins: Conductor Reinhardt, Penguin Mei, Ice Empress Moira, Toybot Zenyatta, and Lumberjack Torbjorn. These legendary skins each have their own unique wintery details. Additionally, this Winter Wonderland event features three epic skins, as well as new winter-themed sprays and icons.
Next, the Winter Wonderland 2020 event is introducing a new Winter Brawl called Freezethaw Elimination. This is a 4v4 team mode where players will freeze solid instead of dying. To win, either team must freeze all four members of the opposing team. However, players can thaw teammates that are frozen solid for a chance to turn the tides and win the match. Alongside Freezethaw Elimination, three previous Overwatch winter game modes are returning: Mei’s Snowball Offensive, Snowball Deathmatch, and Yeti Hunter.
Players will also be able to complete Overwatch’s winter-themed weekly challenges for the duration of the event to receive free rewards. For beating nine games each week, players can unlock the three new epic winter-themed skins including Elf Junkrat, a Frosty snowman-themed Roadhog skin, and Gingerbread Ana. Elf Junkrat is available for beating Week 1's challenge, followed by Roadhog's Frosty skin for Week 2, and then Gingerbread Ana for Week 3. These weekly challenges will only be available for a limited time so players should make sure they complete each week’s challenge before they disappear for good.
It’s important to note that each previous year’s Winter Wonderland cosmetic selection will be available for players to earn, either by purchasing credits or receiving them through loot boxes. Overwatch’s Winter Wonderland content starts today and lasts until January 5, so players have a decent chunk of time to explore everything this new event has to offer. All in all, it looks like Overwatch’s Winter Wonderland 2020 event is offering players a lot of great content. Overwatch’s holiday-themed content is usually a good time, so hopefully players will be able to gather up friends for some holiday cheer in Overwatch.
Overwatch is available now on PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.