With Overwatch 2 being free-to-play, skins are more valuable than ever. As a result of having to purchase skins with money, buying the rarest skins will certainly give you bragging rights.
Though skins from the original game are rare, the rarest skins come from limited events. If you want one, you’d better grab it while you can.
The rarest skins in Overwatch 2
Many of Overwatch 2‘s rarest skins were released in the original game via special events. The appeal of many of these skins is their limited-time drop, meaning most of the rarest skins in the game have been brought back only once or not at all. It is unlikely that skins on this list will make a return to Overwatch 2, but anything is possible.
In order to obtain nearly every one of the skins below, you would need to buy an account that already has them unlocked.
Nano Cola D.Va
The rarest skins in Overwatch 2 are many skins that were created for time-limited challenges. During those challenges, players simply had to complete matches to get a free skin, with progress being completed faster for winning matches. These events offered incentives for players to launch the game each day and play at least a few matches.
Nano Cola is one of these rare event skins. It was offered in a challenge from August 2018, to celebrate the release of Busan, a control map set in D.Va’s home country of South Korea. Thankfully for many players, Nano Cola was brought back for the Overwatch Anniversary Remix event in April of 2022. Many players grabbed the skin when when it was back for a limited time, but you’ll have difficulty finding it again.
Bastet Ana
The dark, gold-plated Bastet skin was handed out to players as a reward in 2019 during an event celebrating her short story, which also included a few other unlockable Ana cosmetics. The skin is sought after because it changes Ana’s mask into a sleek black cat, playing along with the stealth of a sniper character.
Even though the look of the skin is praised, it is only an Epic.
The Bastet skin was only available during Ana’s 2019 event until it came back as a featured item in 2022’s Anniversary Remix event. It has never been available in Overwatch 2.
Combat Medic Baptiste
Similarly to the previous two skins, players could get this one in a time-limited challenge that celebrated the release of Baptiste’s short story in 2019. Also like Bastet Ana, Combat Medic Baptiste came back as a featured skin during the 2022 Anniversary Remix event. A highly sought-after skin for the Haitian hero, new Overwatch 2 players are out of luck if they enjoy the aesthetic of this skin, considered one of Baptiste’s best.
Dr. Ziegler Mercy
This skin is an homage to Mercy’s background as a doctor, and was released alongside a part of her story in 2019. It was handed to players who completed the Recall Challenge in November of that year. It has been brought back once for an Anniversary event similarly to some other rare skins on this list.
Dr. Ziegler Mercy is one of the few Mercy skins that doesn’t feature the hero in an elaborate or impractical costume. In her normal medical coat and casual clothing underneath, the appeal of the skin is that it stands out from others in the hero’s catalog.
Kerrigan Widowmaker
This Legendary skin was only available during a limited-time event in 2018. It was created as a crossover with StarCraft, another game from Blizzard that has a long history in paving the way for esports worldwide. The Widowmaker skin celebrated StarCraft’s 20th anniversary, and she is dressed as one of the characters from StarCraft.
From now until January 16, you can actually earn the Kerrigan Widowmaker skin. You’ll have to earn 160 tickets in the Winter Wonderland event by completing matches, but the tickets can be purchased as well.
During the original 2018 event, it was very easy to get the Kerrigan skin, since all players had to do was log in to Overwatch.
Brick Bastion
One of Bastion’s best skins was a collaboration between LEGO and Overwatch in 2019. It was released for yet another special event. The skin features everyone’s favorite DPS robot completely made out of LEGO blocks.
Unlike some other event skins on this list, Brick Bastion hasn’t returned to the game since the collaboration event, likely because the skin was a brand collaboration. Unfortunately, you might never be able to add Brick Bastion into your collection if you don’t have it already.
Maestro Sigma
Sigma is a classy hero—even more so with his Maestro skin. It was handed to players in a 2020 challenge and is a fan-favorite Sigma skin for a few reasons. The skin highlights what Sigma would have been like before his accident; a sophisticated man with a full head of hair, dressed in a dapper tuxedo. And, best of all, it’s one of the only skins where Sigma is actually wearing shoes instead of having his bare toes out.
The Maestro skin is yet to return to Overwatch.
Noire Widowmaker
Anyone who has the Noire Widowmaker skin is a true veteran. The Legendary skin was offered only to players who pre-ordered the original Overwatch game all the way back in 2016.
Some players may have capitalized on the opportunity to add the skin to their library with the release of Overwatch on the Switch in October 2019, where the skin was also included as a benefit.
The skin is popular not only because it is rare but also because the colors and design of the skin fit Widowmaker’s character and personality more than some of her other skins. It’s also unique but with subtle details, like her braided hair that looks like large machine wiring.
Kanezaka Hanzo
Hanzo’s cool Kanezaka skin was released in 2021 alongside the Deathmatch map of the same name. Kanezaka is described as “a quiet town nestled in the shadow of Hanamura,” and also set the stage for the lore of Kiriko, one of Overwatch 2’s newest heroes.
The Hanzo skin is popular because it is one of his skins that features a more modern design, with cool orange-tinted shades to top it off! The skin hasn’t been available since the initial release of the Kanezaka map.
Medic Brigitte
Medic Brigitte is a very rare skin because even when it was available, you had to pay real money to get it. The skin was handed to players during the Support a Streamer event in 2022. Players were able to get this skin by paying to subscribe to three eligible streaming channels. An attempt to foster a community spirit for Overwatch 2, the event received criticism for which streamers were deemed ‘eligible,’ and marked the first time Blizzard offered a skin as a reward for this type of community initiative.
Like her counterparts, Dr. Ziegler Mercy and Combat Medic Baptiste, Medic Brigitte adds a beautiful and practical skin to the line of support heroes.
Overwatch League All-Stars skins
The Overwatch League All-Stars skins were skins released to celebrate All-Star weekend for the very best professional Overwatch players in the world. These skins were only available for a limited time to promote the event, but have made reappearances in Overwatch’s “From the Vault” events, where certain hard-to-get skins have been brought back.
All of the All-Stars skins are fantastic, with elaborate and ornate designs that are just magical and contrast the Pacific and Atlantic regions. Particularly popular are the D.Va and Mercy versions of these skins.
With the future of the OWL uncertain, these skins may only become rarer.
Pink Mercy
The Pink Mercy skin is one of the most beloved skins in Overwatch history. The skin joined the Overwatch shop for a limited time in May 2018. Like Medic Brigitte, Pink Mercy was one of the only skins that players had to purchase with real money in the original game. The skin cost $15 USD upfront, and the revenue was donated to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.
The skin had immediate success and the community raised over $12.7M during the event. It has never returned to the game since, despite high demand from players everywhere. There have also been suggestions since this event to contribute to other causes or charities via another skin drop.
Blizzcon skins
Blizzcon skins could only be obtained with virtual tickets to the annual conference from the developer. The first hero to receive a Blizzcon skin was Bastion in 2016, and then Winston in 2017. Both of these initial Blizzcon skins were pretty simple; they were recolors with Blizzcon’s theme, white and sky blue shades.
But as the years went on, Blizzard became a bit more elaborate with their skins, calling on some of their other games as they did with Kerrigan Widowmaker.
The 2019 skins featured versions for two heroes. The virtual ticket offered Genji Illidan and Symmetra Tyrande, references to World of Warcraft. Symmetra especially looks like she was plucked straight out of the popular MMO.
The last Blizzcon-linked skin ever released was the Raynhardt Reinhardt skin. It was only obtainable by buying the Heroic Pack Tier of the virtual Blizzcon, BlizzConline, which took place in 2021 and celebrated the 30-year anniversary of the developer. There was no skin in 2020 due to the COVID pandemic.
Honorable mention: Zarya Alien
Zarya Alien is a skin that was removed from the game following former Overwatch League MVP Sinatraa’s controversy. Players who bought the skin were offered reimbursements and it’s no longer in the game, as Blizzard no longer wanted to support the player or his image.
