Lance Velasquez 
While the game’s first year has been disastrous in many ways, the Overwatch 2 Anniversary patch is here with fun rewards and the chance to get loads of skins.
It’s been bad news for Overwatch fans throughout 2022 and 2023 with the probable closure of Overwatch League and its quiet launch on Steam. The good news is that after a year, the Overwatch 2 Anniversary event will be three weeks of fun. Players can play returning game modes, earn Overwatch Credits, and purchase fan-favorite skins in a limited-time Anniversary Shop.
Alongside Overwatch 2’s conventional ranked and normal game modes, players will have the chance to jump into a rotation of classic and modern LTMs. Blizzard has revealed which game modes will appear during the event and when fans can find their favorites.
Overwatch 2 Anniversary event game mode schedule
Winter Wonderland, Battle for Olympus, Catch-A-Mari, Starwatch, and Lucioball will all be featured during the Overwatch 2 Anniversary event. These returning game modes will be staggered across three weeks. Here’s the schedule of events:
Week 1- Mei’s Snowball Offense, Yeti Hunt, Flash Freeze, and Battle For Olympus
An assortment of wintery game modes will kick off the event including their various deathmatch and elimination iterations. Alongside them is 2023’s Battle For Olympus, which has a handful of buffed heroes wearing skins based on Greek mythology.
Week 2- Assault, Catch-a-Mari, and Starwatch: Galactic Rescue
Two of the more recent LTMs will come back in the Catch-a-Mari and Starwatch: Galactic Rescue. Catch-a-Mari has teams fight three-on-three, with players dropping a Pachimari toy on death that can be collected by either team. The Assault game mode is set to return after being shelved with the launch of Overwatch 2. Assault has an attacking team looking to capture two points from the defending team. Starwatch: Galactic Rescue is a space-themed LTM based on Assault which gives two teams access to limited sets of heroes.
Week 3- Lucioball, Winston’s Beach Volleyball, and Mischief and Magic
Lucioball is the original Overwatch LTM, having players effectively play soccer with a giant ball using Lucio’s Soundwave ability. Winston’s Beach Volleyball is similar, but with players able to use a variety of heroes in a round of volleyball. Finally, Mischief and Magic is Overwatch’s take on the popular Garry’s Mod game mode that was available on community servers in other Valve titles including Team Fortress 2 and Counter-Strike.
How to earn credits for Overwatch 2 Anniversary shop
Players can complete event challenges in order to earn Overwatch Credits that can be used to purchase returning skins from the Overwatch 2 Anniversary shop.
The Anniversary Credit Shop boasts a handful of premium skins, including Space Raider Cassidy, Beekeeper Sigma, Hermes Lucio, and many more. Blizzard states that players can save their credits after the Overwatch 2 Anniversary Event and use them in future seasons.
Players can now start earning points up to 3,000 Overwatch Credits by completing all event challenges through October 9.
Previous Overwatch 2 events have garnered mixed reactions, with many criticizing the amount of grinding necessary to complete challenges. The Battle For Olympus event was notorious for this and fans are hoping that things are more merciful here.
When does the Overwatch 2 Anniversary event end?
Players can collect Overwatch Credits for the anniversary event until October 9, and they can spend them until the Overwatch 2 Annivesary shop closes on October 16.
While the shop is set to close on October 16, players won’t lose their credits if they forget to spend them. The credits will remain on the account with players able to use them in the future. That said, players who are interested in specific skins may want to commit before the shop closes as it’s unknown when some of these cosmetics will return. More details can be found on the official Overwatch 2 website.
