Overwatch events are always a time of excitement for the game’s community, as players flock to the hero shooter to see the new cosmetic items and brawls that will be available. As expected, the next Overwatch event will be the Lunar New Year Event, and it starts very soon.
While Blizzard previously hinted at another Lunar New Year event via some Hanzo artwork celebrating the arrival of New Year’s Day, little has been said since the archer was shown standing alongside an Ox. With the Lunar New Year event usually starting in mid to late January, fans began to worry that Blizzard would be skipping out on the new year festivities for 2021. Fortunately, that is not the case, as a post on the official Overwatch Twitter account reveals that the event is incoming.
The post reveals that the Year of the Ox event will begin on February 4, with players able to experience whatever new content the event will bring this Thursday. The event will run for the standard three weeks, coming to an end on February 25. While the short teaser video offers no information as to what skins will be available, it does showcase a special highlight intro for the mech pilot D.Va. In the intro, D.Va ejects, grabbing the camera and snapping her fingers as the mech explodes into fireworks.
The intro is sure to be a favorite for many, and obtaining it should serve as a distraction for any players frustrated about recent Overwatch nerfs. As for what else will be unlockable in the event, the contents of this year’s Lunar New Year are anyone’s guess. That said, players can expect some skins to be earned through weekly win challenges and others to be unlocked through lootboxes, mirroring the setup of previous events. As with other returning events, skins from past versions of Lunar New Year will be unlockable until the event ends.
With the previous Lunar New Year events offering standout skins like Sombra’s Face Changer, hopefully the next lineup of special outfits delivers for any players that are interested. As for the seasonal brawl, players can expect the return of Capture the Flag, with the mode consistently appearing in prior Lunar New Year events. A competitive and casual variant will likely be available for fans of Capture the Flag, and it is possible that the new map Kanezaka gets a redesign to fit the mode and this seasonal event.
For players more focused on the future of the franchise as opposed to the current game, Overwatch 2’s BlizzConline showcase is just a few weeks away. Taking place during the back half of the Lunar New Year event, February is shaping up to be an exciting month for Overwatch fans.
Overwatch is available now on PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.