MULTI Overwatch OT: Anniversary 2021 event goes live with funky new skins

[manigamer]

[h=1]Overwatch is getting double XP this weekend[/h]


[h=2]Earn loot boxes faster as Blizzard wraps up the game’s Anniversary event[/h]


Blizzard Entertainment is giving Overwatch players a chance to earn loot boxes twice as fast beginning later this week. All players who log in from June 8-12 can earn double the experience while playing Overwatch on PlayStation 4, Windows PC and Xbox One, the company announced today.


Overwatch’s double XP weekend will bring the game’s currently running Anniversary event to a close. It’s also an opportunity for players to — with any luck — earn more of the game’s newest, incredibly hard to get and highly coveted legendary skins.
The Overwatch Anniversary event launched May 23 to celebrate the game’s first birthday. The event included more than 100 new cosmetic items, including 11 legendary character skins. While players were happy with the new cosmetics, they voiced their displeasure at how difficult they were to come by. Overwatch game director Jeff Kaplan addressed player complaints about the ultra rare skins, saying “we are listening” to players’ criticism.
This weekend’s double experience multiplier will apply to “nearly all sources of in-game XP,” including XP earned from time spent in a match, completing a match, earning medals and more. The only thing that’s not doubled, Blizzard said, is the 1,500 XP gain from players’ first win of the day.

​

Overwatch’s double XP weekend kicks off Thursday, June 8 at 5 p.m. PT and ends Monday, June 12 at 11:59 p.m. PT. A lot of good that does me, though, because I’m flying out for E3 on Friday and still don’t have Sentai Genji.

 

[manigamer]

[h=1]Overwatch’s new hero is Doomfist — and you can check him out next week (update)[/h]
[h=2]Finally![/h]

After months of speculation, Doomfist arrives in Overwatch today. The game’s 25th hero is now live on the Public Test Region for Windows PC players to test out, with his console debut coming next week.
Doomfist is a cybernetically enhanced offense hero who favors speed. He’s got his Hand Cannon to deal out damage from a distance and a Rocket Punch attack for close combat; other attacks include Seismic Slam, Rising Uppercut and a shield called the Best Defense. Doomfist’s ultimate ability, Meteor Strike, lets him take out a big group of opponents in a pinch.
Earlier this month, Overwatch fans got their biggest hint that Doomfist was on his way into the game. An article posted to the game’s canonical news site detailed an operation undertaken by the Talon organization — Overwatch’s biggest enemy — to free a man named Akande Ogundimu from a Numbani prison. Ogundimu has since spent the past three months causing a stir, taking out a security facility run by Pharah, another playable hero.
Ogundimu isn’t just another criminal, though. He’s the current owner of the Doomfist moniker, the third in a line of people who bore that name. Each one is united by their shared possession of the Doomfist gauntlet, a weapon that mysteriously disappeared from its display case upon the release of Overwatch’s Numbani map.
For more on Doomfist’s backstory, watch his origin video above. Below, check out some screenshots to see the character in-game before checking him out on the PTR. A new developer update from the Overwatch team also goes into further detail on what to expect from the character.
Update: Doomfist will be available on consoles starting July 27, Blizzard Entertainment announced. Look forward to that update to start checking out the character.

 

[manigamer]

[h=1]Doomfist now playable in Overwatch on PC, PS4 and Xbox One[/h]

[h=2]Overwatch’s 25th character goes live, along with other big changes[/h]

Overwatch’s long-awaited new character, the villainous Doomfist, is now playable in the PlayStation 4, Windows PC and Xbox One versions of the game. Doomfist had beenplayable on the PC version’s public test region for the past few weeks.
To mark the official release of Doomfist, Blizzard put together a sizzle real showing off the character’s traits, abilities and background. You can watch that above.
Overwatch’s Doomfist update also includes a host of other changes for the game, including new options for capturing and saving gameplay highlights, and loot box updates designed toreduce the number of duplicate items.
Today’s update also includes some minor but important changes to a few of Overwatch’s heroes, namely D.Va, Genji, Zarya, Reaper, McCree and Reinhardt. For a look at the full patch notes, head to the official Overwatch website.
For a deeper look at Doomfist’s abilities, check out Heroes Never Die’s guide toOverwatch’s newest character.

 

[manigamer]

[h=1]Deathmatch coming to Overwatch, along with a new map[/h]
[h=2]Kill or be killed[/h]

Overwatch players can finally feel free to stop worrying about getting on the payload, because deathmatch modes are on their way to the game, the studio announced today.
Now available in Overwatch’s Public Test Region — which is exclusive to the Windows PC version of the game — are two new kills-only modes, Deathmatch and Team Deathmatch. The former is limited to eight players, while the latter maintains the game’s traditional six-on-six setup.
Overwatch game director Jeff Kaplan explained in a developer update video that Blizzard initially “didn’t think [deathmatch] was right for the game,” because the studio wanted to focus on objective-based team modes in Quick Play and Competitive. But the Arcade, said Kaplan, has “opened up our ability as developers to introduce game modes to you guys that we wouldn’t normally feel comfortable putting in the Quick Play or Competitive rotation.”

A turret on Château Guillard, the new map for Overwatch’s deathmatch update. Blizzard EntertainmentDeathmatch is a free-for-all fracas in which each person is trying to rack up as many kills as possible. The first player to reach 20 points wins, with one point awarded for striking the final blow and one point subtracted for a death due to environmental or self-inflicted damage. Team Deathmatch works the same way, with one interesting wrinkle: If a dead player is resurrected before they respawn, the kill is erased from the opponents’ score.



Blizzard is introducing a new map just for Deathmatch — the free-for-all version, not the team-based gametype — called Château Guillard. Located near Annecy in southeastern France, it is Widowmaker’s family estate. The developer update video announcing the arrival of deathmatch didn’t offer a look at the map, but you can see a glimpse of it in the screenshot above.
Deathmatch and Team Deathmatch will also be playable on a bunch of existing maps, including in custom games. Both modes will exist in Overwatch’s Arcade. As always, the final version of the new update will eventually be released on all platforms after Blizzard conducts testing on the PTR.

 

[manigamer]

[h=1]Overwatch’s new map, Junkertown, revealed[/h]

[h=2]Coming soon to Overwatch[/h]

Blizzard revealed a new map for Overwatch at Gamescom today: Junkertown. The new escort-style map is set in the outback of Australia — home of Junkrat and Roadhog — and will task players with guiding an explosives-laden payload into the heart of Junkertown.
Here’s the map’s official description:

Junkertown is an Escort map located in the harsh and unforgiving Australian Outback. Constructed from the remains of a destroyed omnium, it's now the home to a band of lawless scavengers known as the Junkers, led by their cutthroat Queen. When they aren’t pillaging the omnium's skeleton for anything of value, the Junkers blow off steam in the Scrapyard—a massive gladiatorial arena whose combatants fight for glory, riches...and to survive.
​

Today’s Junkertown reveal was introduced by Junkrat and Roadhog themselves, showcasing the look and feel of the map in an animated short. You can watch that video, titled “Junkertown: The Plan,” below.

Blizzard has another animated short, in the vein of short films like “The Last Bastion” and “Infiltration,” planned for this Wednesday, Aug. 23.


It’s not clear when Junkertown is coming to Overwatch, but Blizzard says it’s “coming soon.” Attendees of Gamescom 2017 will be able to play the new map in Cologne, Germany this week.

 

[manigamer]

[h=1]Blizzard’s radically changing Overwatch’s Mercy[/h]

[h=2]She’s getting a new ultimate, Valkyrie[/h]

Overwatch healer Mercy is getting a massive overhaul, game director Jeff Kaplan revealed today in a developer update video. The most radical change — “and it’s going to seem a little bit shocking at first,” Kaplan said — is that Mercy’s ultimate ability will no longer be Resurrect.
Instead, Resurrect will now be a secondary common ability for Mercy, Kaplan said, explaining that she’ll no longer have the ability to resurrect multiple teammates at once as part of her revision. Resurrect is now single target only ability, Kaplan said, and will be on a “rather long cooldown” so you won’t see Mercy players constantly reviving their teammates.
Mercy’s new ultimate ability is called Valkyrie, and when she uses it she’ll have the ability to fly. Like, really fly, Kaplan said.
“She can fly, and I don’t mean that she can Pharah-boost in the air briefly, I mean she can fly,” he said. “And it’s super fun. You have complete control of your character. After all, Mercy has those wings we might as well put them to real use. I mean, Guardian Angel’s pretty good, but imagine flying with Mercy, how much fun it could be.”
Valkyrie will also boost Mercy’s other abilities, giving her a shorter Resurrection cooldown and making her more powerful in “Battle Mercy” mode. Her attack weapon will fire faster and do more damage when Valkyrie is in effect, making her much deadlier in combat situations. Guardian Angel will go much further with Valkyrie active, giving Mercy better mobility. And her healing and damage boost beams will similarly extend further and target multiple teammates at once.
Here are the changes to Mercy as specified in the game’s latest patch notes:
Valkyrie (New Ultimate Ability)


Valkyrie unleashes the full power of Mercy’s Valkyrie Suit, enhancing her weapons and abilities for 20 seconds:

• Caduceus Staff: Mercy’s healing and damage boost beams now affect all allies near the targeted teammate, and the staff’s effective range has been extended
• Caduceus Blaster: Granted infinite ammo, while simultaneously increasing damage and fire rate
• Guardian Angel: Increased range and movement speed
• Resurrect: Cooldown is instantly reset when Valkyrie is activated and reduced to 10s after the initial cast
• Hover: Mercy gains the ability to fly freely, at increased movement speed
• Regeneration (Passive): No longer interrupted when Mercy takes damage

Those proposed Mercy changes will be going onto Overwatch’s public test region (PTR) servers. Kaplan said the team will be experimenting with different versions of Resurrect and how it works with Valkyrie, so don’t consider any of these changes set in stone just yet.

Check out the rest of today’s Overwatch developer update for some additional information on changes coming to D.Va, which you can read more about at Heroes Never Die.

 

[manigamer]

[h=1]Deathmatch coming to Overwatch, along with a new map (update: now live)[/h]

[h=2]Kill or be killed[/h]






Overwatch players can finally feel free to stop worrying about getting on the payload, because deathmatch modes are on their way to the game, the studio announced today.
Now available in Overwatch’s Public Test Region — which is exclusive to the Windows PC version of the game — are two new kills-only modes, Deathmatch and Team Deathmatch. The former is limited to eight players, while the latter maintains the game’s traditional six-on-six setup.
Overwatch game director Jeff Kaplan explained in a developer update video that Blizzard initially “didn’t think [deathmatch] was right for the game,” because the studio wanted to focus on objective-based team modes in Quick Play and Competitive. But the Arcade, said Kaplan, has “opened up our ability as developers to introduce game modes to you guys that we wouldn’t normally feel comfortable putting in the Quick Play or Competitive rotation.”

A turret on Château Guillard, the new map for Overwatch’s deathmatch update. Blizzard EntertainmentDeathmatch is a free-for-all fracas in which each person is trying to rack up as many kills as possible. The first player to reach 20 points wins, with one point awarded for striking the final blow and one point subtracted for a death due to environmental or self-inflicted damage. Team Deathmatch works the same way, with one interesting wrinkle — if a dead player is resurrected before they respawn, the kill is erased from the opponents’ score — and a score limit of 30.


Blizzard is introducing a new map just for Deathmatch — the free-for-all version, not the team-based gametype — called Château Guillard. Located near Annecy in southeastern France, it is Widowmaker’s family estate. The developer update video announcing the arrival of deathmatch didn’t offer a look at the map, but you can see a glimpse of it in the screenshot above.
Deathmatch and Team Deathmatch will also be playable on a bunch of existing maps, including in custom games. Both modes will exist in Overwatch’s Arcade. As always, the final version of the new update will eventually be released on all platforms after Blizzard conducts testing on the PTR.
Update (Aug. 29): Overwatch’s version 2.18 patch, which includes deathmatch modes and balance changes to Junkrat, Orisa, Roadhog and Widowmaker, is now live on all platforms. The update also brings in the Château Guillard map.
Blizzard is implementing data format changes with this update, the studio said in its patch notes. The tweaks mean that this patch is larger than usual, but they will enable the company to make future patches smaller.

 

[manigamer]

[h=1]Blizzard: Overwatch development is slowed by fighting toxic players[/h]


[h=2]Want more stuff? Be nice.[/h]

The Overwatch team wants to make new content for the game, including animated shorts, new maps and new features. But the toxic behavior of so many players is causing them to prioritize fighting abuse.
“We’ve been put in this weird position where we’re spending a tremendous amount of time and resources punishing people and trying to make people behave better,” Game director Jeff Kaplan said in a recent video post. “I wish we could take the time we put into putting reporting on console and have put them towards a match history system or a replay system instead. It was the exact same people who had to work on both who got re-routed to work on the other.”
This problem is bad for everyone, because it means less time spent on the game itself. Kaplan draws a straight line from fighting abuse to fewer updates.
“The bad behavior is making the game progress in terms of development on a much slower rate,” he said.
Blizzard has added a reporting function to the PC and console versions of Overwatch, and Kaplan said they plan on giving more feedback when complaints lead to disciplinary action. He also pushed back against the idea that reporting someone isn’t worth the time.
“We have taken disciplinary action against over 480,000 accounts, and 340,000 of those were a direct result of players using the reporting system,” he stated. “So you can see, the vast majority of actions we take are because players have said hey, there’s another player here doing something very bad and I want to see some action.”
Kaplan doesn’t mince words: They don’t want you in the game if you’re a bad person doing bad things. “We don’t want to create areas for you where just the bad people are in Overwatch, we just don’t want those people in Overwatch,” he said.
Kaplan also asked the community to take responsibility for their own actions, to try to say more nice things to other players instead of attacking them.
Blizzard seems to be taking this issue seriously, but it remains frustrating when developers speak about the issue of abuse as if it formed organically and uniquely inside their game as it became popular.
Toxicity is a common problem in most online communities; taking steps to fight it after it has become a large problem is less effective than thinking about how to fight back against toxic players as the game is being developed. We’re past the point where we can pretend games won’t have a toxic element in the fanbase, developers should take that situation as a given and have an effective way to limit the damage from launch onward.

 

[manigamer]

[h=1]New Overwatch patch brings in Junkertown map, Mercy and D.Va tweaks[/h]

[h=2]When will we meet the Queen of the Junkers?[/h]

Overwatch’s latest update is now live on PlayStation 4, Windows PC and Xbox One, and it’s a big one — a new map and major changes to characters such as Mercy and D.Va are on the docket.
Today’s patch, which updates Overwatch to version 1.15.0.1 on consoles, features the new Junkertown map. Introduced during Gamescom last month and released on the game’s Public Test Region at the end of August, Junkertown is an Australia-based playground for the Escort gametype, and it’s the hometown of Roadhog and Junkrat. Here’s the map’s description from Blizzard:

Junkertown is located in the harsh and unforgiving Australian Outback. Constructed from the remains of a destroyed omnium, it's now the home to a band of lawless scavengers known as the Junkers, led by their cutthroat Queen. When they aren’t pillaging the omnium's skeleton for anything of value, the Junkers blow off steam in the Scrapyard — a massive gladiatorial arena whose combatants fight for glory, riches... and to survive.
​

Blizzard is also making significant changes to two of Overwatch’s most popular characters, Mercy and D.Va.



The balance updates for Mercy, which Blizzard announced in late August, are designed to address problems with her original ultimate ability, Resurrect. That is no longer her ult; it’s been replaced by a new ability called Valkyrie, which turns her into a flying resurrection machine with infinite ammo. However, the developers decided to get rid of the damage boost they’d been testing on Overwatch’s PTR.
As for D.Va, Blizzard found that her Defense Matrix was “too strong,” but the studio didn’t want to nerf it without adding something as well. So she has a new ability, Micro Missiles, with which she can fire a few small rockets at any time. In addition, D.Va’s Fusion Cannons can now be used even while she’s flying. The other hero that Blizzard tweaked with this patch is Reinhardt, making it possible for players to rotate the camera while using his shield.


The patch also swaps out dead teammates’ skull icons for character portraits, and makes a bunch of changes to the Mystery Heroes gametype. For more, including details on the bug fixes in the update, check out the full patch notes.


<span style="line-height: 28.8px;">

 

[manigamer]

[h=1]Overwatch’s Halloween Terror event returns next week[/h]

[h=2]We’re already stoked for the new skins[/h]

Overwatch’s annual Halloween event will kick off next Tuesday, Oct. 10, Blizzard announced, and will run until Nov. 2. A teaser attached to an accompanying tweet doesn’t reveal much, but it’s enough to get us excited about the return of Dr. Junkenstein, among other new event exclusives — like holiday-themed skins.
Last year’s Halloween Terror campaign featured an exclusive PvE mode, called Junkenstein’s Revenge. Based on the teaser, it seems as though Blizzard will bring back the cooperative game-type for this year’s installment — Dr. Junkenstein, otherwise known as Junkrat, is featured front-and-center.

The nights grow cold
And monsters appear
A great evil gathers
And Halloween draws near... pic.twitter.com/98CXWqQ0gc
— Overwatch (@PlayOverwatch) October 3, 2017​

Also seen in at the very end of teaser is a brief look at some new skins. It’s hard to say what, exactly, these costumes are referencing, but our best guess is that a Van Helsing McCree and a newly pumpkin head-less Reaper will be part of this year’s festivities. Could the new costumes be a sign of some bigger changes for Halloween Terror? That remains to be seen.
As for the rest of the new skins, our friends over at Heroes Never Die have a wishlist of Halloween costumes for our favorite Overwatch heroes. Take a look at that, and we’ll see if Blizzard delivers when Halloween Terror begins next week.

 

[manigamer]

[h=1]Overwatch Halloween Terror 2017 skins leak and they are amazing[/h]

[h=2]Zenyatta, Mei and Symmetra are getting new legendaries[/h]

Blizzard’s upcoming seasonal event for Overwatch, Halloween Terror 2017, kicks off next Tuesday, Oct. 10. But, as is common with Overwatch events, some of the game’s highly coveted legendary skins have started to leak out a bit early.
Overwatch Halloween Terror 2017’s new skins appear to have leaked out through online ads and other means, and have since been collected by the game’s subreddit.
Here’s one for Mei, which appears to be based on a Chinese hopping vampire, aka jiangshi.

Symmetra is also apparently getting a spooky new skin, which appears to be based on an ifrit (though given Blizzard’s visual style, it’s not far off from a Zerg-like look).

Finally, here’s a low-res sneak peek at something for Zenyatta, which looks deliciously Lovecraftian.

Blizzard announced earlier this week that Halloween Terror was coming back toOverwatch. The developer offered a glimpse at two new skins: a Van Helsing-inspired look for McCree and a Dracula-esque costume for Reaper.

The nights grow cold
And monsters appear
A great evil gathers
And Halloween draws near... pic.twitter.com/98CXWqQ0gc
— Overwatch (@PlayOverwatch) October 3, 2017​

 

[manigamer]

[h=1]Here are Overwatch’s Halloween Terror 2017 skins[/h]

[h=2]Plus haunted maps, Junkenstein’s Revenge and more[/h]

Overwatch’s Halloween-themed seasonal event returns to the game today, giving players another crack at Junkenstein’s Revenge — the game’s PvE mode — and a bunch of spooky new character skins. Last year’s skins are back, naturally, and Blizzard has a fresh batch of legendary skins for the likes of McCree, Mei, Symmetra and Zenyatta.
In total, there are eight new legendary skins in Overwatch Halloween Terror 2017, which you can see in the gallery below. There are also haunted versions of Overwatch’s Eichenwalde and Hollywood maps, as well as two PvE brawls: the returning Junkenstein’s Revenge and the new Junkenstein Endless brawl, featuring a different cast of heroes.
Overwatch Halloween Terror 2017 runs from Oct. 10 through Nov. 1 on PlayStation 4, Windows PC and Xbox One.
Check out Corsair Ana, Van Helsing McCree, Dragon Symmetra, Cultist Zenyatta and a bunch of other cosmetics now live in Overwatch.

 

[manigamer]

[h=1]Overwatch’s new hero revealed: Moira[/h]

[h=2]Blizzard reveals Overwatch’s 26th playable character[/h]

A new hero is coming to Overwatch. Blizzard announced Moira, the game’s 26th playable character, at BlizzCon 2017’s opening ceremony today. Moira is a new support character coming to Overwatch.
Moira is capable of dealing massive damage as well as healing her teammates. She looks like a spellcaster of sorts, firing damaging orbs of dark energy, while also deploying healing beams.
Lore-wise, Moira is described as a geneticist who works for Talon, and also has a history with Reaper’s Blackwatch organization.
Jeff Kaplan, game director of Overwatch, said Moira is a ton of fun — and powerful too; Kaplan joked Moira is spelled “OP AF.”
Here’s Moira’s kit, as described on the official Overwatch site:

BIOTIC GRASP
Using her left hand, Moira expends biotic energy to heal allies in front of her. Her right hand fires a long-range beam weapon that saps enemies’ health, healing Moira and replenishing her biotic energy.
BIOTIC ORB
Moira launches a rebounding biotic sphere; she can choose between a regeneration effect that heals the allies it passes through, or a decay effect that deals damage to enemies.
FADE
Moira quickly teleports a short distance.
COALESCENCE
Moira channels a long-range beam that both heals allies and bypasses barriers to damage her enemies.
​

Moira is the fifth hero character to be added to Overwatch, following Ana, Sombra, Orisa and Doomfist, since the game was released in May 2016. As with previous heroes, Moira will be released first on Overwatch’s public test region on PC before being officially released on PC and consoles.

 

[manigamer]

[h=1]New Overwatch map is a Blizzard theme park: Blizzard World[/h]

[h=2]Check it out on the PTR soon[/h]

Overwatch is getting a new map with a cross-game Blizzard theme. Called BlizzardWorld, the new map will included theme park attractions based on Blizzard properties like Heroes of the Storm and StarCraft.
Director Jeff Kaplan introduced the hybrid map, which will have players both attack and protect the payload, during BlizzCon 2017’s opening ceremony. Accompanying the announcement was a fun cinematic short that showed the rest of the cast of Overwatch as they watched the trailer itself, gushing over the Blizzard-based amusements.
There’s an arcade based on Heroes of the Storm, a place based on Azeroth from World of Warcraft and areas borrowed from Hearthstone, among others. Watch that below.
The map will go live in Overwatch for all players early next year. It will be available on the Public Test Realm soon, however, so PC fans should keep an eye out for the map.

'''

 

[manigamer]

[h=1]Overwatch is having another free weekend[/h]

[h=2]Play for free the weekend of Nov. 17[/h]

Blizzard Entertainment will hold a free weekend for Overwatch later this month, letting anyone who owns a PlayStation 4, Windows PC or Xbox One try out the colorful team-based shooter.
Overwatch’s latest free weekend — Blizzard’s done this a few times before — kicks off officially on Friday, Nov. 17 at 11 a.m. PT and runs through Monday, Nov. 20 at 11:59 p.m. PT. A trial version will be available for download on consoles. Xbox Live Gold or PlayStation Plus subscriptions are required to play on Xbox One or PS4 during the free weekend. PC players will need the Blizzard Battle.net app.
The free weekend for Overwatch will include all 26 playable characters and 16 maps. Players will be able to take part in Quick Play, Custom Games, the Arcade and Loot Boxes, but no Competitive games, apparently. Progress made during the free weekend will carry over to the retail version of the game for those who purchase it.
If Overwatch’s latest free weekend convinces you to finally pick the game up, retailers likeBest Buy, Target and Walmart will have the console versions on sale for $29.99 duringBlack Friday 2017 sales.

 

[manigamer]

[h=1]Overwatch’s new hero, Moira, now available on console and PC[/h]
[h=2]Moira arrives quickly on PC, PS4 and Xbox One[/h]

Overwatch’s newest hero, Moira, is now playable in the PlayStation 4, Windows PC and Xbox One versions of the game, Blizzard announced today. An update for Overwatch is now available for all versions of the hero-based shooter.
Moira’s rollout has been surprisingly fast; Blizzard announced her at BlizzCon just two weeks ago, and added her to the public test region on PC the following week on Nov. 6.
Moira is the 26th hero for Overwatch and the game’s sixth support class character. She’s capable of dealing massive damage to her foes as well as healing her teammates. She looks like a spellcaster, throwing bouncing orbs and firing beams from her hands that heal or hurt, but she’s actually a highly advanced geneticist. She has a history with Talon and Reaper’s Blackwatch organization, if you’re interested in the lore behind Moira.
We played with Moira at BlizzCon 2017, if you want to read our first impressions of the new (extremely fun to play) support character. You can also get a preview of her skins and other cosmetic items, thanks to our sister site Heroes Never Die.
Overwatch is having a free weekend on PC, PS4 and Xbox One starting tomorrow, Nov. 17.

 

[manigamer]

[h=1]Here are Overwatch’s Winter Wonderland 2017 skins[/h]
[h=2]Hello, Hipster Hanzo[/h]

 

[manigamer]

Overwatch’s Blizzard World update is here with rad new skins and lootCheck out the emotes, highlight intros and skins in new update

Blizzard Entertainment released a new update for Overwatch today that adds a new map, the theme park-inspired Blizzard World, and a bunch of cosmetic items, including skins, emotes, sprays and highlight intro animations. Unlike a lot of other Overwatch content drops, this one’s not a seasonal, limited-time event. Players can earn those new legendary and epic skins for Overwatch from regular loot boxes.You can check out a fly-through of Blizzard World in the above trailer, which Blizzard released during last year’s BlizzCon. Our friends at Heroes Never Die also have a guide to all the Blizzard references contained within the map.For a look at all the new skins, which Blizzard has been teasing for the past week, check out the gallery below. GRID VIEW1 of 17 Blizzard EntertainmentA majority of those skins are tied to the release of Blizzard World, a theme park that pays homage to Diablo, Hearthstone, StarCraft and Warcraft. But there are also plenty of new epic and legendary skins that aren’t Blizzard-themed, like Black Cat D.Va, Kabuki Hanzo and Asp Pharah.Here are the official names of all those new skins:Legendary SkinsBlackhand DoomfistBlack Cat D.VaKabuki HanzoAsp PharahCapoeira LúcioEcopoint: Antarctica MeiImmortal OrisaCrusader ReinhardtButcher RoadhogMagni TorbjörnNova WidowmakerBarbarian ZaryaEpic SkinsCaution JunkratRoyal McCreeHellfire ReaperPeacock SymmetraCarbon Fiber ZenyattaToday’s update also includes a handful of new emotes for the likes of Genji, Mercy, Sombra, Tracer and Moira.

 

[manigamer]

Overwatch’s Lunar New Year event returns Feb. 8Get ready for the Year of the DogBlizzard is bringing back Overwatch’s Lunar New Year seasonal event next week, the studio announced on Twitter. The second annual campaign will begin Thursday, Feb. 8.2018 is the Year of the Dog, according to the Chinese zodiac. It’s possible that this year’s Lunar New Year event, much like last year’s, will reference the animal in an exclusive gameplay mode. Overwatch’s inaugural event in 2017, the Year of the Rooster, brought us Capture the Rooster. The team battle, set on Lijiang Tower, prominently featured a rooster on its main objective, the flag.Blizzard isn’t saying whether that limited-time mode is returning for the Year of the Dog, however. But we can also hope that Overwatch’s seasonal skins will at least be back in loot boxes during the events. Last year saw several characters receive looks inspired by the classic tale Journey to the West, alongside skins based around the Lunar New Year event in general.Whatever happens, the event is always a big celebration for Mei fans. Stay tuned until Feb. 8 to see what the Lunar New Year will bring to Overwatch players.Wishing you prosperity in the Year of the Dog! Lunar New Year returns February 8. pic.twitter.com/DCcUSF5Urm— Overwatch (@PlayOverwatch) February 2, 2018

 

[manigamer]

[h=1]Overwatch’s new hero is Brigitte Lindholm[/h]

[h=2]Hero 27 is here-o[/h]

Overwatch’s 27th hero is Brigitte Lindholm, Blizzard Entertainment announced. Brigitte will be able to test out on the public test region (PTR) today. She will be available sometime between 1 p.m. ET and 2 p.m. ET, for users of the Windows PC version of the game.
The daughter of Torbjörn Lindholm, Brigitte is a support character. Her origin story reveals that years of working alongside her father in his engineering workshop helped her become an adept mechanic herself. Although Torbjörn has plenty of kids to go around, Brigitte is the one who really shined in the field, thanks to her prowess with building out defense systems.
Brigitte uses her own custom-built armor, which helps protect her — and the rest of the team — in battle. That comes courtesy of her ultimate ability, a move called Rally that both quickens Brigitte’s pace and grants armor for those around her.
Brigitte also wields the Rocket Flail, which does damage to numerous enemies in a single swing. Other moves include her Whip Shot, Shield Bash and Inspire, a passive healing ability that works over a period of time.
Here is the official breakdown of Brigitte’s abilities, via Blizzard:

• Rocket Flail – Brigitte’s melee weapon has an extended range, enabling her to strike multiple enemies with a single swing.
• Repair Pack – Brigitte throws a Repair Pack that can heal an ally. Any healing over that ally’s maximum health provides them with armor instead.
• Whip Shot – Brigitte throws her flail a long distance, dealing damage and knocking an enemy away from her.
• Barrier Shield – Brigitte deploys a frontal energy barrier to absorb a limited amount of damage.
• Shield Bash – Once her Barrier Shield is deployed, Brigitte can dash forward to stun an enemy.
• Inspire – When Brigitte hits enemies with her flail, she also heals nearby allies over time.
• Rally – Brigitte moves faster and provides all nearby allies with armor that lasts until it’s removed by damage.

We first met Brigitte in a pair of digital comics, as well as the animated short “Honor and Glory” from last November.

​

Brigitte is the 27th hero overall, as well as the first hero to come to Overwatch in 2018. Prior to this, Blizzard added the support character Moira to the game’s roster. Her reveal came at BlizzCon 2017 as a surprise for attendees and players worldwide.
For more, watch the latest developer update from Jeff Kaplan and the Overwatch team below.