It was only a matter of time before Overwatch got into the business of seasonal items, I suppose, and with the game’s international focus and multi-cultural class, it’s no surprise that the first such event would channel the spirit of the Olympic games. Spirit only, of course. Overwatch’s Summer Games definitely do not bear any undue similarity to the Olympics or their presumably hefty licensing fees.
There are tons of new themed cosmetic items, including a bunch of new sprays, emotes, poses, intros, and player icons. A few characters are even getting new legendary skins, with a sport-ready Lucio, a weightlifting Zarya, and a track and field Tracer that I definitely need in my life. For the duration of the event, regular loot boxes will be replaced with Summer Games boxes, which will be the only way to procure these items.
There’s also a unique new brawl for the Summer Games called Lucioball. Two teams of three Lucios with a limited selection of powers and try to score as many goals as they can within the time limit. It’s Rocket League. It’s basically just Rocket League. It’s unlike anything else in the game and takes place on a new map, though, so why not?
The event will run until August 22, which is coincidentally one day after the close of the entirely unrelated Olympic games. The items available for unlock here are ”heading back into the vault” following the event, so presumably it’ll be four more years before there’s a chance of getting them again.
