It’s the jolliest time of the year. Overwatch‘s 2020 Winter Wonderland event is kicking off today.
The event runs until Jan. 5. And until then, players will be able to fight it out in special game modes like Mei’s Snowball Offensive and the new Freezethaw Elimination.
For many players, the big focus is on the game’s newest skins. This year’s Winter Wonderland event includes eight new skins for everyone to unlock over three weeks of play time.
Epic
This year’s three new Epic skins can be unlocked during weekly challenges. Every week, players will have to win nine games of Overwatch to unlock the Epic skin for that challenge.
Elf Junkrat
This Epic skin gives Junkrat a jolly hat and decorative RIP-Tire, but don’t be fooled: This elf has definitely been building explosive toys. The bomb expert gets an eerie green glow instead of his usual charred skin and his tattoos have been replaced with symbols of really, really creepy elves. Junkrat definitely wins the award for the “most unintentionally spooky” skin of the Winter Wonderland event.
Gingerbread Ana
Winter Wonderland’s second weekly challenge gives players the chance to unlock a new Epic skin for Ana. While the support hero does give off a kind, grandmotherly presence, it’s often counterbalanced by her extensive history of sniping people into oblivion. This skin beckons to the kinder side of Ana, giving her a cheerful apron with a gingerbread man print and a gingham cape.
Frosty Roadhog
Roadhog may be round, but he’s often not very jolly. The event’s final challenge skin somehow makes the hero look both welcoming and terrifying, making it an instant classic. Roadhog’s gas mask has been replaced with a sharp-toothed Frosty the Snowman face complete with glowing ice eyes. His belt buckle now says “SNOWR8GE” like he’s part of some terrifying holiday gang. It’s fantastic.
Legendary
Lumberjack Torbjörn
A core part of Torbjörn’s personality is that he’s a cool dad to support hero Brigitte and a house full of other children. This Legendary skin turns the dad meter all the way up to 11. Instead of his usual armor, Torbjörn dons a flannel shirt and green vest as well as a pair of acid-wash jeans. His belt buckle even has a reindeer on it, completing the look of a dad who loves nothing more than mowing the lawn and then bragging about it to his friends.
Conductor Reinhardt
For every main tank player who loves to charge into the enemy backline, the Conductor Reinhardt skin is for you. Looking like he walked straight out of the battle version of The Polar Express, Reinhardt dons a conductor’s hat and a sharp monocle in this Legendary skin. The entire top part of his armor is covered in snow and the lights within his pauldrons look like tiny houses, awaiting the arrival of presents from afar.
Ice Empress Moira
If Overwatch developers get hit with a cease-and-desist from Disney for taking a lot of creative inspiration from ice queen Elsa, don’t say we didn’t warn them. This Legendary skin gives Moira a chilly makeover, complete with icicle nails, a frozen crown, and icy eyebrows. The blonde hair wrapped into a braided bun is a bit on the nose, but we won’t tell Disney’s legal department as long as we get this skin.
Toybot Zenyatta
Zenyatta continues getting some of the best skins in Overwatch history with this adorable take on a toy robot. The omnic monk gets a complete makeover into a child’s robot friend, trading his usual chrome skin for matte primary blue with stars. His weapons now resemble building blocks, with smiling faces on some of the sides. Zenyatta’s face is now a television screen. While he appears happy in all of the promotional pictures, we have a feeling that his angry face will come out in battle.
Penguin Mei
It feels like every year, Mei gets at least one skin that breaks the internet. This Legendary skin accomplished that goal in the most wholesome way possible. Penguin Mei gives the damage-dealer a full penguin suit, complete with eyes and a beak on the top of her head. Even her companion, Snowball, is turned into the most adorable penguin robot in existence. This skin is a great way to cheer up your friends as you destroy them in Snowball Deathmatch.
All the Legendary skins can be unlocked in Winter Wonderland loot boxes throughout the entirety of the event from Dec. 15 to Jan. 5. They can also be purchased for 3,000 gold. The Epic skins are only available during the specific weeks that challenges are active, so be sure to get them before they’re gone.
