It’s almost Overwatch’s second birthday, and that means it’s time for the game’s anniversary event. The celebration will start on May 22 and continue until June 11 on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC.
Like last year, the Overwatch Anniversary event will introduce lots of new content for fans to enjoy, including three epic skins and eight legendary skins. Last year’s event also brought dance emotes to every hero. This year the heroes that have been added to the roster since then (Doomfist, Moira and Brigitte) will get their own dance emotes, too.
Cosmetics from previous events will also be available for players to buy during the celebration. The event is also bringing back previous seasonal brawls, like Uprising and Retribution. And, of course, don’t forget about Lucioball.
You’ll have a brawl!
Past brawls and cosmetics are back for Overwatch Anniversary 2018.
The celebration begins May 22! ?? pic.twitter.com/C58AFSvfOs
— Overwatch (@PlayOverwatch) May 14, 2018
Players will find this loot in Anniversary loot boxes, but Blizzard is also offering players Legendary Anniversary loot boxes. You can get one of these just by logging in, guaranteeing at least one legendary item. After that, purchasing a 50-loot box bundle will unlock a second Legendary loot box.
Though details are sparse right now, we do know that Overwatch is also getting a new Deathmatch map, Petra. Deathmatch enthusiasts can rejoice even further because Blizzard is also setting up a Competitive Play mode for it.
And that’s not all.
Overwatch’s second anniversary will also feature a free weekend for new players to give the game a test drive.
If you still haven’t had a chance to give Overwatch a shot, this is your time. The free weekend starts three days after the new event launches and runs through May 28.
During this time, prospective players will have free access to all of Overwatch’s 27 heroes and 18 maps in Quick Play, the Arcade and custom games. Competitive Play, however, is never included in free weekend events. If you catch the Overwatch bug, all your progress you make during the free weekend will carry over if you choose to purchase the game, as long as you’re using the same Blizzard, Xbox Live or Sony Entertainment account you started on.
PlayStation 4 players without a PS Plus account can still participate in the free weekend, but will have to subscribe to PS Plus once it’s over. Xbox Live players will need an Xbox Live Gold membership to play. The free weekend will kick off at 1:00 p.m. CT on May 25.
The birthday celebration event and free weekend is a great time to jump into Overwatch, whether its your first time or millionth match, thanks to all the new and returning content. Celebrate the game’s second anniversary with Blizzard starting May 22.