Roar into 2022 with Overwatch’s Lunar New Year event, which is now live on all platforms and runs from Jan. 25 to Feb. 15. This year, players can celebrate the Year of the Tiger with five new skins and some lucky new cosmetics.
Lunar New Year is the time of Capture the Flag and the mode returns to arcade selections during the event. Capture the Flag Blitz, a smaller and more chaotic version of the mode, will also be available to play.
Bounty Hunter—a fun rotation in the arcade—will have a prominent place during the Year of the Tiger event. The player who scores the first kill in a Bounty Hunter match is the new target and their position is available to everyone in the lobby. When the target is eliminated, the player who landed the final blow is the new target. Think of it as a high-stakes version of tag.
Though event modes are fun, everyone is mostly here for the sparkly new cosmetics. As usual, Overwatch will run three weekly challenges throughout the event that unlock an Epic skin. The rich, red Prosperity Ashe skin and the strangely delicate Porcelain Wrecking Ball are two offerings players can unlock during the event.
Events normally have five Legendary skins, but this version of the Lunar New Year event is only bringing two: the fiery Nezha Tracer and pastel-toned Seolbim Mercy.
An Overwatch spokesperson provided a statement to Dot Esports for fans who may be disappointed with the lack of cosmetics:
“We understand that this year’s Lunar New Year event doesn’t have the number of Legendary skins as previous events. The Skins team is hard at work—with more Legendary Skins planned in 2022 than any year prior. We’ll share more with players on this topic throughout the year.”
Both Legendary skins can be unlocked in Lunar New Year loot boxes or by forking over 3,000 gold in the hero gallery before the event ends on Feb. 15.
