[Original Story] - The Overwatch Lunar New Year event is fast approaching, despite Blizzard having only just called time on the Winter Wonderland. The shooter might well be over five years old, but seasonal events continue to play a huge part in the appeal for fans to jump back in. Normally there's a bit of a break between one seasonal event and the next, but with the Chinese New Year only a few weeks away, there's very little respite for fans. Here's everything you need to know about Overwatch 2022 Lunar New Year event.
Latest News -
25 January 2022 -
There are only a few hours to go before the launch of Overwatch's Lunar Event, but we've at least got a look at two brand new skins (below) coming with the new event. This includes Nezha Tracer (Legendary) and Seolbim Mercy (Legendary). We suspect we'll probably see a few more available later today.
23 January 2022 -
Blizzard has finally announced the Overwatch Lunar New Year Event for 2022. It starts on January 25 and ends February 15. The teaser (seen below) doesn't show any new skins but we can hear a few characters talking over a slow pan of some Chinese cuisine. It's possible we might see a few new skins teased on Overwatch's social channels this evening (5pm onwards) ahead of the event starting tomorrow.
What Is the Overwatch Lunar New Year Event?
Throughout the year Overwatch holds six seasonal events like clockwork. The Lunar New Year event is intended to celebrate Chinese New Year and as such the festive rewards and cosmetics lean heavily on Chinese culture for inspiration.
Overwatch Lunar New Year 2022 Start Date
At the time of writing Blizzard has not confirmed an official release date for the game's Lunar New Year event in 2022. That being said, the developers rarely forgo the opportunity for an in-game event and we don't suspect they'll start now.
Normally we could give a fairly accurate prediction of when each in-game event might start, as seasonal events traditionally begin and end at roughly the same time every year. But since the Lunar New Year event is tied to the real-life Chinese New Year, which itself changes date every year, it's a bit more tricky. For instance, here's a look at when the event has started and ended in previous years:
| Year | Name | Started | Ended |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Year of the Rooster | January 24 | February 14 |
| 2018 | Year of the Dog | February 8 | March 5 |
| 2019 | Year of the Pig | January 24 | February 18 |
| 2020 | Year of the Rat | January 16 | February 5 |
| 2021 | Year of the Ox | February 4 | February 25 |
The 2022 Chinese New Year is called The Year of the Tiger and starts on 1 February 2022.
Based on what we know, the Overwatch Lunar New Year event usually goes live a week before Chinese New Year, and always on a Thursday. With this in mind, we think it's possible the Lunar New Year Event for 2022 could begin as early as January 20, but more likely on January 27, releasing at roughly 6pm GMT in the evening.
What Modes and Events Are Available?
In the past, Overwatch has traditionally added Capture the Flag as a limited-time arcade mode for the game, first introduced as 'Capture the Rooster' with the event's conception back in 2017.
In 2021 the game also added the 'Bounty Hunter' mode, which was eventually added permanently as part of the standard Arcade rotation.
As for what we could have in store for 2022, we'll have to wait to find out.
Overwatch Lunar New Year Skins
As with every seasonal event, there's a bevy of new cosmetics to collect, including sprays, emotes, victory poses and so much more.
Naturally, new skins are what's most coveted and there's no telling how many could be added this year. Although if the most recent Winter Wonderland event is anything to go by (which added 8 new skins), we should have plenty of new cosmetics to admire.
Along with however many new skins are added to the game in 2022, players will of course be able to unlock previous Lunar New Year cosmetics. In total, that’s 42 Epic and Legendary skins you can get your hands on.
We will be updating this story as more information is revealed (and leaked) throughout January 2022.
That's everything you need to know about the Overwatch Lunar New Year event for 2022. If you've been thinking of trying out a different role for the upcoming event, why not take a look at a rundown of the Best Support, Tank and DPS Heroes in the game right now.
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