Overwatch 2’s Winter Event is Back with Festive Skins and… Another Battle Pass?

Overwatch 2’s annual Winter Wonderland holiday event is set to make a festive return to the game on December 19. Blizzard Entertainment recently outlined the exciting features awaiting players during Winter Wonderland 2023, featuring the revival of classic game modes and the introduction of new Legendary skins for prominent heroes, including Sojourn, Mercy, Tracer, Baptiste, Illari, and Cassidy. Additionally, players can anticipate a fresh addition to the festivities: the Winter Fair Event Pass, a distinct offering separate from the season 8 battle pass, which encompasses both a free and a paid track.

The upcoming Winter Wonderland event will reintroduce four beloved Arcade game modes: Mei’s Snowball Offensive, Snowball Deathmatch, Yeti Hunter, and Freeze Flash Elimination (formerly known as Freezethaw Elimination).

This year’s innovation is the Winter Fair Event Pass, described by Blizzard as “a new way to unlock Holiday-themed rewards.” Through this pass, players accrue tickets by participating in games, which can then be redeemed for various unlockable rewards. A ticket is earned for every nine games played, with victories counting for double.

The Winter Fair Event Pass offers a free track, enabling players to accumulate enough tickets to unlock a single free Legendary skin. Choices include the Formalwear Legendary skins for Cassidy or Baptiste, or the Winter Jammies Illari Legendary skin. For 500 Overwatch Coins—the premium currency in Overwatch 2, obtainable through in-game activities or real-money purchases—players can access the Event Pass’s Premium track. This premium track provides access to all four Legendary skins and additional cosmetics, such as the Legendary Wrapping Paper Reinhardt skin or the Kerrigan skin for Widowmaker.

In addition to the Event Pass rewards, Winter Wonderland 2023 will feature other enticing skins in the in-game shop. These include Formalwear Legendary skins for Tracer and Sojourn, Nutcracker Pharah, and Festive Kiriko (alternate versions of Pharah’s Enchanted Armor and Kiriko’s Time Keeper skins, respectively). The highly requested Jingle Belle Mercy skin, based on older concept art, will also be available.

Winter Wonderland 2023 in Overwatch 2 spans from December 19 to January 16, 2024. The game is accessible on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.