No ads, our video library,
Home
News
Guides
Esports
Reviews
Competitions
More
Video library
Watch Live
Support GINX
Buy our Merch
Our staff
About us
Contact us
Privacy Policy
Archive
Overwatch is known for its engaging seasonal events, ranging from the thrilling Summer Olympics to the chilly Winter Wonderland event at the end of the year. With the recent release of Overwatch 2, many fans have wondered if these events will be returning to the game. Thankfully, Blizzard Entertainment has answered players' questions and confirmed that, yes, the Lunar New Year Event will be back in 2023 in Overwatch 2.
Let's discuss everything you need to know about the Overwatch 2 Lunar New Year event, from its start and end dates to the festivities and skins that will be included.
Latest News
The Overwatch 2 Lunar New Year event has arrived.
The Year of the Rabbit seasonal event brings new skins to collect, festive maps celebrating the holiday, and the return of fan-favorite fun Arcade Brawls, including Capture the Flag, Capture the Flag Blitz, and Bounty Hunter.
You’ll also earn free rewards when you log in, play, and watch your favorite content creators on Twitch.
All players will earn the 2023 Year of the Rabbit Player Icon just for logging in. There's also new event challenges, rewarding bonus cosmetics, and Battle Pass XP when you play any of our Lunar New Year brawls.
Complete four of the available event challenges to earn the Kkachi Echo Legendary skin, seen below.
And we should be getting two new skins. Keep an eye on the Overwatch 2 Item Shop.
The official Overwatch 2 account on Twitter isn't giving anything away, but with the Lunar New Year event scheduled to start next week - on 17 January - we wouldn't be surprised to see a few previews for new skins this coming weekend.
Keep those eyes peeled.
Overwatch 2 Lunar New Year Twitch Drops are now live.
Watch 2 hours to get a Moira Lion Roars Victory Pose, and 4 hours to get the Moira Mask Dancer skin.
The Twitch drops will run from 12 January to 26 January.
There are some brand new Overwatch 2 Twitch Drops on the way later this month as part of the Lunar New Year Event.
What Is The Overwatch 2 Lunar New Year Event?
Overwatch 2 is the free-to-play sequel to Overwatch, Blizzard Entertainment's now-6v6 first-person shooter. Overwatch holds six annual events, and the Lunar New Year event is one of them.
Overwatch's Luar New Year event is typically held in January, February, or March, to coincide with the dates of the Lunar New Year. Overwatch 2 has confirmed that the event will be returning in the sequel.
Overwatch 2 Lunar New Year Event 2023 Start Time
According to the Overwatch 2 Season 2 roadmap, the 2023 Year Of The Water Rabbit Lunar New Year event will take place from 17th January until 6th February 2023.
That means the event will last for a whole 20 days, about as long as the game's previous Lunar New Year celebrations.
- 2017 Year of the Rooster: 24th January - 5th February
- 2018 Year of the Dog: 8th February - 5th March
- 2019 Year of the Pig: 24th January - 18th February
- 2020 Year of the Rat: 16th January - 5th February
- 2021 Year of the Ox: 4th February - 25th February
Overwatch 2 events typically follow the same start time. This means the Lunar New Year will start at 7pm UTC.
Overwatch 2 Lunar New Year Event 2023 Skins
Each Overwatch event comes with the release of new skins for fans to collect and enjoy. The number of skins included in each event varies; for example, while last year's 2022 Winter Wonderland event offered 8 new skins, last year's 2022 Lunar New Year event only offered fans 2 Legendary skins and 3 Epic skins.
The Season 2 trailer showcased a few of the skins we can expect to see during this year's Lunar New Year event, including one for Mei and one for Sojourn.
We will also see one of either the Epic Ice Queen Brigitte, Legendary Winged Victory Mercy, and Legendary Kkachi Echo skins. Blizzard mentioned that all of these skins would return one-by-one during events, but did not specify which would be included in the Lunar New Year event.
If you didn't get the chance to earn last year's Lunar New Year event skins, they are available in the shop throughout the duration of the event.
Overwatch 2 Lunar New Year 2023 Event Modes
Overwatch brings back several event modes each year during the Lunar New Year event, sometimes adding new ones into the mix. Bounty Hunter was added to the game in 2021, while Capture The Flag has been a part of the Lunar New Year event since 2017.
- Bounty Hunter: Players play as Bounty Hunters who attempt to kill one player who is designated as the Target.
- Capture the Flag: Teams attempt to capture the opposing team's flag and bring it back to their base three times.
- Capture the Flag Blitz: This mode is like Capture the Flag, but the flags are placed closer together.Teams attempt to capture the opposing team's flag and bring it back to their base six times.
That's all you need to know about the Overwatch 2 Lunar New Year 2023 event, including when it begins and what festivities and rewards fans can expect to see this year.
For more on the game, check our section dedicated to Overwatch 2 news, guides, and features.
Featured image courtesy of Blizzard Entertainment.
