We're getting even more free lootboxes and a double XP weekend in Overwatch just for playing the game

A promotional screenshot of the new Overwatch hero Vendetta. A muscular woman wearing wolf-themed gladiator armor holds a sword bigger than her. The sword has a black blade with glowing edges and a wolf insignia just above the hilt. — (Image credit: Blizzard Entertainment)

Overwatch's big Season 1 reimagining, dropping the infamous '2' in its name, adding five new heroes, reworking maps, and overhauling its UI, has given it a new lease on life. So much so that it broke its all-time player count on Steam, a trend which no doubt rippled across other platforms, and it's still holding strong. This glow-up has been a long time in the making, but it's great to see Overwatch back on the map.

To celebrate the occasion, Blizzard has announced "a token of appreciation for keeping the matches rolling", that being double match XP and five free lootboxes all weekend—Friday, 20 February, until Monday, 23 February, to be exact, starting and ending at the reset time in your region, such as 11 am PT / 2 pm ET / 7 pm GMT.

Guess our weekend plans are officially booked now 🤩As a token of appreciation for keeping the matches rolling, enjoy double XP all weekend long plus 5 bonus Loot Boxes from Feb 20 @ 11am PT to Feb 23 🎁 pic.twitter.com/LTsh71UVknFebruary 20, 2026

Sitting pretty next to the 14 compensation lootboxes for Overwatch's progression fumble last week, you've got a healthy stockpile for barely lifting your finger. There are also various events going on right now that also dole out lootboxes, such as Conquest and Year of the Horse (Lunar New Year). I'd say that's pretty good going, though I'll change my tune if I don't get anything I want in them, of course.

The double match XP (this means it sadly doesn't boost challenges) is perfect for blitzing through your battle pass tiers, especially as it stacks with other bonuses you might have from playing with friends or the premium pass.

I much prefer an XP boost as thanks rather than tier skip tokens, as the latter doesn't apply once you've cleared the standard 80-level reward track. In other words, they're useless if you've finished the pass and have your sights set on a title that could require grinding up to 120 more levels—I'm aiming for Chronically Online at level 175.

Rory has made the fatal error of playing way too many live service games at once, and somehow still finding time for everything in between. Sure, he’s an expert at Destiny 2, Call of Duty, and more, but at what cost? He’s even sunk 1,000 hours into The Elder Scrolls Online over the years. At least he put all those hours spent grinding challenges to good use over the years as a freelancer and guides editor. In his spare time, he’s also an avid video creator, often breaking down the environmental design of his favourite games. If you can’t track him down, he’s probably lost in a cave with a bunch of dwarves shouting “rock and stone” to no end.

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