Every Overwatch Year of the Dog Skin Ranked From Worst to Best

Symmetra’s Overwatch Year of the Dog skin is one of the more simple skins in the event. This Epic skin just seems like an ordinary palette swap with a few golden designs slapped onto her dress. Compared to some of the other epic skins in the game, this one feels like a bit of a letdown. Still, it’s a decent costume to use if you don’t have any other skins for the hero.

Like with the Quipao costume, Junkrat’s Year of the Dog skin doesn’t seem like much effort was put into it. He has some dirty red shorts and a few firecrackers on his neck which match his personality, but it’s nothing mindblowing.

We get that Mercy’s main motif is supposed to be yellow, but the Fortune skin takes it a bit too far. There isn’t much variety in terms of color, save for the hidden pants, halo, and green wings. The golden color scheme makes it look really plain and, honestly, quite forgettable. A decent find in lootboxes, but not something you would actually buy.

Bastion is possibly the king of recolors in the game, especially since you can’t actually do much with his frame. That said, this Overwatch Year of the Dog skin is just another paint job with a few decals. In fairness though, the black does give him a bit of a luxurious sheen. However, the real saving grace for this skin is the rooster Ganymede.

One of the better Epic skins, Tracer is looking pretty sleek dressed in black. The dark color helps accentuate the roses and golden tints on her outfit, making for a sophisticated jumpsuit. Since the outfit is pretty cheap, it wouldn’t hurt to spare a few coins and buy it.

Pharah’s gotten a new Overwatch Year of the Dog skin, though it heavily reflects her original outfit. She symbolizes the Azure Dragon, Qinglong, evident by her helmet and ferocious-looking rocket launcher. The skin is an impressive nod to the Chinese constellation, though it pales in comparison to some of the other newer skins. Probably a must-buy if you’re a Pharah main, but you can skip it otherwise.

Another new skin, McCree swaps his cowboy clothes for something a bit more serious as a magistrate. To be fair, traditional magistrates didn’t exactly have the flashiest outfits, so props to Blizzard for making the most out of the idea. In spite of this, the skin still looks rather simple compared to the other costumes, especially since the colors don’t really mix well with each other. Fans are probably better off getting this from loot boxes than actually spending 3000 coins for it.

Mei gets two skins for Year of the Dog, albeit they are just recolors of the same outfit. These threads are actually traditional Chinese clothing, streamlined for combat with a shorter top and pants. Both colors look great on her, so there is no going wrong with either skin. The skin really accentuates Mei’s Chinese heritage and is not only a great skin in the game but also a thoughtful gesture to the culture.

Reinhardt’s Overwatch Year of the Dog skin is a reference to Shu Wujing – an important character in the novel, Journey to the West. Fittingly enough, both characters are depicted as massive men, each wielding a large weapon. The costume’s black motif and large beads enforce Reinhardt’s strength and masculinity, making him the perfect choice to represent the Chinese warrior.

Widowmaker looks exceptionally stunning dressed in this wine-colored cheongsam. The high cut dress with heels is perfect for look for a femme fatale, and the colors blend really well with her skin. If that isn’t classy enough for you, then maybe her venom mine gauntlet and the intricately-designed gun will change your mind.

Sun Wukong is one of the more popular characters from Chinese mythology, so it’s only fitting that Winston gets his Overwatch Year of the Dog skin based on the hero. Both characters wield amazing strength and have the power to “transform,” in a sense. Instead of looking menacing, however, Winston looks adorable with his clump of soft fur, looking like a huge stuffed animal.

Another character from the Journey to the West, Bajie Roadhog’s design takes after the character, Zhu Bajie. This fearless fighter is a half-man and half-pig who often gets himself into trouble over his gluttony and laziness, which pretty much reflects Roadhog. The costume sews a pig mask on the hero and even gives him a rake instead of a hook, staying true to the original lore. This Overwatch Year of the Dog skin is a bold take on the Chinese lore and definitely something you would want to buy before the event ends.

Ana is looking pretty festive in her Tal costume. Despite only being an Epic skin, the developers put a lot of work on crafting her Korean mask. In terms of culture, it seems like they mask they gave her was meant for shamanistic practices that would evoke fear or humor during ceremonies. And it works in the game, too, since there’s nothing more terrifying than watching a “Shhh…” highlight intro with an Ana wearing her Tal skin. Nightmare fuel for days, I tell you.

Xuanwu is a black tortoise that acts as one of the protectors of Kyoto, referencing Zarya’s role as a tank in the game. What makes the skin so great are the bits they took from the mythology to craft an actual costume, seeing as how they can’t actually make Zarya into a turtle. The scales are creatively placed on her clothes as armor, and her headdress has reptilian eyes and a ponytail that could be referencing the snake often associated with Xuanwu. Not only is this a great Overwatch Year of the Dog skin, but it’s also one of the character’s best costumes by far.

Genji looks dressed to kill in this Overwatch Year of the Dog skin. Taking inspiration from both Japanese and Chinese roots, the cyborg ninja looks like a real samurai in his new threads. There’s more than meets the eye, however, as the Baihu skin actually represents the White Tiger from China. You can see the design crafted in the blue and white motif, as well as the symbol on his chest.

Zenyatta’s Sanzang outfit is one of the classic Year of the Dog skins in Overwatch. It’s based on the central figure in Journey to the West, Xuanzang, who is a Buddhist monk searching on a mission to share the teachings of his religion. Both he and the omnic share plenty of ideals in life, with both striving to help their disciples achieve enlightenment. Zenyatta’s take on the character is nothing short of stunning with his human-painted face and regal robes.

For the Year of the Dog event, Blizzard has given Mercy a Zhuque skin based on the Vermilion Bird from the Chinese constellations. The bird itself is somewhat like the Asian counterpart of the Phoenix in the Western mythos, which is a creature that never dies (sound familiar?). The Overwatch skin is a refreshing take on the hero, with her red dress and black hair.

D.Va has been one of the event’s most popular characters, and it isn’t hard to see why. Her Palanquin skin gives her a cute and vibrant multi-colored dress that reflects her bubbly personality, while her mech is designed to look like a sophisticated Litter used to carry her around. Those who haven’t gotten around to buying this Overwatch Year of the Dog skin should put this on their bucket list and get it before the event ends.