Feel that chill in the air? Winter is on the way and with it used to come Winter Wonderland, Overwatch’s yearly celebration of all things festive and frozen. While some skins dress heroes up as warm and friendly elves and Santa Clauses, some of the other heroes have been given cold decorations of ice and snow. Not all is as it seems during the year’s end, so tread carefully.
While Blizzard has replaced all seasonal events with Anniversary Remix events in the run-up to Overwatch 2, all of the first game’s skins will transfer over to the second, so now’s the time to pick up any Winter Wonderland skins you might have missed out on the first time around. Make sure to go through the available skins by Oct. 4 so you’ll be ready to go as soon as the new game launches.
Here are the very best Winter Wonderland skins in Overwatch.
Rime Sigma
Sigma is one of several heroes to get the ice treatment as part of their Winter Wonderland skins. Rime makes him look like one of Game of Thrones’ White Walkers, complete with pale skin and piercing blue eyes. Blizzard loves to put references to their games in their other games, so it’s no surprise that the skulls on his shoulders and belts are likely a reference to World of Warcraft’s Lich King. It’s a dark, frozen look that suits the Talon scientist well.
Figure Skater Symmetra
Figure Skater could have been part of a Summer Games event, but Blizzard chose to release it during the chillier winter months instead. (Symmetra must be multitalented since her Summer Games player icon depicts her as a rhythmic gymnast.) This skin gives the Architech an extremely futuristic pair of ice skates, a colorful green skater’s dress, and a matching jeweled collar. It’s a great look that mixes the over-the-top aesthetics of figure skating and Symmetra’s character into a single outfit.
Nutcracker Zenyatta
There are several Nutcracker references among Overwatch‘s cosmetics, not the least of which is Nutcracker. This clever skin turns Zenyatta’s orbs into nuts and gives him a toy-like face with a tall soldier’s hat. He’s the embodiment of a living figurine in a nearly identical adaptation of old nutcracker dolls and of the titular story’s character, who becomes human at the end of the ballet. When Zenyatta uses his Transcendence ultimate while wearing Nutcracker, his shout of “Experience festivity!” is guaranteed to make your entire team smile.
Frostbite Pharah
While Frostbite is the only non-legendary skin on this list, that doesn’t mean it’s worth any less than its companions. This epic skin gives Pharah an impressive collection of holographic icicles on her shoulders, arms, and thighs that seem to be growing directly out of her flight suit. Even her rocket launcher contains a frozen compartment, ideal for keeping things chilly. With her ghostly blue face and lips, she looks as though she could be a long-frozen soldier rising from the dead to fight with Overwatch’s other heroes. Or maybe she’s just cold.
Yeti Winston
Yetis are folkloric, primate-like creatures that live in the Himalayas. They’re traditionally presented as taller than the average human and having superhuman strength and white fur. As a tall hero with the strength of a gorilla and the intelligence of a human, Winston is the perfect candidate for a yeti-themed skin. This classic outfit gives him plenty of fur, cold blue hands, and intricate skull-shaped containers for his rocket pack. If you’re a Winston player, this skin is a must-buy.
Beachrat Junkrat
Junkrat’s ensemble may look more suited to Summer Games than Winter Wonderland, but remember that during the holiday months, his native Australia is in the midst of summer. Never one to follow trends, Junkrat has decided that he’s showing up to the holiday party in his swim gear. Some of the highlights of this skin include the rubber ducky float that replaces Junkrat’s R.I.P. Tire, his trunks that read “Junk” on the waistband, and his fun yellow sunglasses.
Santaclad Torbjörn
In perhaps the most fitting adaptation for a Winter Wonderland skin, Blizzard gave the inevitable Santa skin to Torbjörn. It’s a perfect match: Santa is generally depicted as a jolly old elf and an excellent toymaker. While Torbjörn isn’t quite as good-natured and would probably rather spend his time making weapons than toys, it still works. There’s even a little lore connected to this skin: its blurb in the Hero Gallery explains that every year, his wife implored him to dress up as Santa for his family’s holiday celebration.
