Snow is falling, the fireplaces are lit, and the smell of gingerbread wafts through the air. Even in the distant future of Overwatch 2, the holiday cheer is plain to see. And what better way to get into the festive spirit than to partake in some seasonal minigames?
Related
Overwatch 2: How To Unlock Competitive
If you want to start playing ranked matches in Overwatch 2, you need to complete son requisites. Check out what you have to do in this guide.
We are talking, of course, about Overwatch 2’s annual Winter Wonderland event, which sees the return of fan-favourite game modes and a plethora of gifts for players both new and experienced. So, don your snow boots, roll up some snowballs, and try not to freeze out there – there’s plenty of fun to be had.
What Is Winter Wonderland?
Every year in December, Overwatch brings back a handful of seasonal game modes in the Arcade, along with general challenges. This year’s Winter Wonderland event runs from December 10 to January 6, so you’ll have plenty of time to get into the spirit of the season. Here’s a list of what to expect this year:
Mei’s Snowball Offensive/Snowball Deathmatch |
A surprisingly tense and tactical snowball fight where everyone plays as Mei, with modified abilities. Instead of her usual freezing spray and charged icicle shot, you get a single snowball that instantly downs any enemy hit by it. After firing once, you’ll need to reload at one of the snow piles scattered across the map. Your Ultimate, instead of freezing enemies in a large area, gives you infinite snowballs for a few seconds. Snowball Offensive is a team game, while Snowball Deathmatch is a free-for-all. |
---|---|
Yeti Hunt |
An asymmetrical game of cat and mouse across the Shambali Monastery. Five Meis hunt down one super-tough Yeti-Winston, attempting to trap and defeat him before he finds the morsels of Meat scattered across the map. If the Yeti eats four pieces of Meat, he enters a more powerful version of Primal Rage that can easily knock out the hunters. In this mode, Mei’s ultimate is replaced by a giant steel trap, similar to Junkrat’s ability of the same name. |
Freezethaw Elimination |
Want something more familiar? This mode is very similar to the standard 5v5 Lockout Elimination, but with a wintery twist: players who are “eliminated” are frozen solid instead of being killed and can be thawed out by their allies, bringing them back into the match. |
While it isn’t technically part of Winter Wonderland, 6v6 has also returned as a limited-time mode, with the same duration as Winter Wonderland.
Winter Wonderland Rewards
If the chance to play some limited-time game modes isn’t enough motivation to get in on the action, there’s more at stake – holiday gifts in the form of Skins and other cosmetics! Completing Winter Wonderland Event Challenges will earn you the following items:
Reward |
Challenge |
---|---|
Merry Marionette Echo Skin |
Play three games. |
Cozy Cassidy Skin + Campfire Highlight Intro |
Play six games. |
Casual Hanzo Skin + Present Thief Name Card |
Play eight games. |
Winter Chic Widowmaker Skin + Campfire Highlight Intro |
Play nine games. |
Festive Cheer Name Card |
Play 16 games. |
Snowfriend Name Card |
Play 24 games. |
Festive Pine Name Card |
Play 32 games. |
Ornament Hazard Spray |
Play three games of Freezethaw Elimination. |
Ornament Juno Spray |
Play three games of Yeti Hunt. |
Ornament Venture Spray |
Play three games of Mei’s Snowball Offensive or Snowball Deathmatch. |
An important thing to note is that wins count as two games played for all of these Challenges – meaning that you can unlock all the rewards with a minimum of 16 games. So get out there and start racking up those victories!
Logging in at any time during the event will also get you the Snowflake Icon, 2025 Party Hat Icon, and Darumari Trinket for free.
Next
Overwatch 2: Venture Hero Guide
Want to learn how to play Venture in Overwatch 2? Here’s the lowdown.
Leave a Reply