The Overwatch Anniversary Event that leaked yesterday is now official. Beginning on May 22 and running until June 11, Blizzard will celebrate Overwatch's second birthday with more than 50 new items, including eight new Legendary and three Epic skins, new dance emotes, and a brand-new Deathmatch map called Petra. Deathmatch is also getting a new "Competitive Mode" for the anniversary event, complete with placement matches, skill rating tiers, and leaderboards.
You’ll have a brawl! Past brawls and cosmetics are back for Overwatch Anniversary 2018. The celebration begins May 22! 🎉🎂 pic.twitter.com/C58AFSvfOsMay 14, 2018
With the new comes the old: Cosmetics and dance emote from last year's anniversary event will also return, as will previous seasonal brawls, including those in Overwatch: Archives, which will rotate through the Arcade on a daily basis. All previous seasonal loot will be included in loot boxes during the event, and everyone who logs in to Overwatch during the second anniversary celebration will receive a free Legendary Anniversary loot box.
And of course there will be a free weekend in there too. From May 25-28, Overwatch will be free to play on all platforms. The full lineup of Heroes will be open to everyone across all 18 maps in Quick Play, Custom Games, and the Arcade. Any progress earned during the free weekend will carry over to the full game if you decide to buy it. Speaking of which, Blizzard will also release a new Overwatch Legendary Edition on May 22, which will include sets of Legendary, Epic, and Origin skins.
