What’s New in Overwatch’s Anniversary Event? Everything You Need to Know

New Skins

As is the case with every Overwatch event, a host of new skins are available for you to unlock through the game’s loot boxes as part of the Anniversary event. There are over 100 Anniversary rewards available including the largest-ever release of new Legendary skins.

The new skins available include:

• A Beekeeper skin for Mei
• A Cyborg skin for Soldier: 76
• A Dune-Buggy skin for Bastion
• A Cyber-Ninja skin for Hanzo
• A Sentai skin for Genji
• A Jazzy skin for Lucio

You can unlock these skins from Anniversary Loot Boxes which will be available throughout the duration of the event. You can check out the full set of Anniversary skins here.

New Emotes

As well as new skins, the Anniversary event introduces new character emotes, as every Overwatch event does. This time, every character has gotten a new emote. The list of new Anniversary emotes includes:

• Charleston for Tracer
• Line Dance for McCree
• Hustle for Mercy
• Running Rat for Junkrat
• Smooth for Lucio
• Rocket Guitar for Pharah
• Sunny Dance for Mei
• Sweethardt for Reinhardt
• Ballet for Widowmaker
• Robo Boogie for Bastion
• Fisherman Dance for Hanzo

Each other character will get a brand new dance emote. You can see all of them and how they look at the Overwatch Anniversary Event page.

Three New Arena Maps

Three new maps have also been added to the arcade mode circulation. The Overwatch page reads, “Arena maps are small maps built for intense action. Eliminate all enemy players to win a round—and, ultimately, win the match. As part of the Anniversary event, we’ve added three new maps to the Arcade that support up to 3v3 elimination matches.” The three new maps are:

• Necropolis (Egypt) – Ana Amari has made Necropolis her personal hideout—and an impromptu field base where she can keep an eye on things.Head to Ana’s preferred vantage point at the top of the ruins, and use the high ground (and the element of surprise) against the enemy team. Or walk the stone corridors below, and take the fight to them directly—just watch out for pits!
• Castillo (Mexico) – Castillo is an old fort looking out over Dorado’s bay. It’s the location of Calaveras, a bar frequented by questionable patrons; a graffitied Los Muertos hangout; and Sombra’s hacking den.Test your skills against the enemy team throughout Castillo’s multiple levels, and use its winding stairs for cover and strategic advantage.
• Black Forest (Germany) – On the outskirts of Eichenwalde, the misty Black Forest map wraps around a long-overlooked battlefield dotted with the wreckage of Bastion units. Flank your opponents on pathways between the castle and woods, and use the wooden balconies to move between the second stories of houses throughout the forest.

These maps have now been added to the Arcade rotation.

Anniversary Event Exclusive Loot Boxes

The new Anniversary event exclusive loot boxes are the best way of getting the new skins and emotes. There are new dances for each hero, as well as 24 new voice lines, 25 sprays, and 25 player icons, including golden player icons. You will earn them through playing the game or by purchasing them in the store of the platform of your choice.

You will also be awarded a single Anniversary Loot Box when you first log into the game between May 23 and June 12. You should take advantage of them while you can because once June 12 comes around you will no longer be able to purchase them.

Game of the Year Edition/ Free Weekend

A Game of the Year Edition of Overwatch is also releasing today, May 23, and is replacing the Origins Edition. It includes:

• 10 Loot Boxes
• Vintage Blackwatch Reyes, Strike-Commander Morrison, Overgrown Bastion, Security Chief Pharah, and Slipstream Tracer skins.
• Tracer for Heroes of the Storm
• Baby Winston pet for World of Warcraft
• Mercy’s wings for Diablo III
• Tracer, Reaper, Pharah, Winston, Bastion, and Soldier: 76, portraits for StarCraft II
• Overwatch-themed card back for Hearthstone

The content is the same as was included in the Origins Edition, with the addition of the 10 Loot Boxes.

Overwatch will also be free to play this weekend. The free trial begins May 26 at 11 AM PT and ends May 29 at 11:59 PM PT. You will need PlayStation Plus or Xbox Live Gold to participate.