Overwatch second anniversary event confirmed, free weekend incoming

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The big party will include new cosmetics, dance emotes, and a new Deathmatch map.

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.   

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.  

Andy Chalk
Andy Chalk
US News Lead

Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.