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Changes that could improve the Year of the Rabbit event in Overwatch 2

Seasonal events in Overwatch have a reputation for being exciting. The numerous occasions, Blizzard has incorporated some of the... Maria | 22. January 2023

Seasonal events in Overwatch have a reputation for being exciting. The numerous occasions, Blizzard has incorporated some of the game’s most iconic cosmetics, voice lines, and game maps into the vibrant game. But Overwatch 2 still seems to be falling short.

The Lunar New Year celebration, which takes place from January 17 to February 1 and honors the Year of the Rabbit, has traditionally been one of the most memorable occasions for fans. But this time, there is something that doesn’t seem to fit.

This Year, several factors have contributed to the failure of the fan-favorite event.

Read on to learn about some improvements that could be made to the event to make it better.

More skins

Overwatch 2’s new monetization strategy, which has moved from a one-time payment to a system of the battle pass and paid cosmetics like many other games in the genre, has already been heavily criticized. The point is that since 2016, Overwatch players have become accustomed to a particular model, and now everything is significantly more expensive.

Even if the prices for Overwatch 2 cosmetics are comparable to other first-person shooters, the monetization of cosmetics in the game still has problems. In addition, this Year’s Lunar New Year event skins have not pleased the public, regardless of the issues with the cost of cosmetics.

overwatch 2 lunar new year mei skin 1024x576 1

Credits: Blizzard Entertainment

The Hu Tou Mao skin for Mei is the leading skin being promoted as the image for this occasion. Mei’s basic outfit doesn’t change much other than the ears on this skin, which makes a sweet reference to the Year of the Rabbit by giving her a red and gold makeover and adding bunny ears to her hat. The price for the skin is 1,000 Overwatch coins, about $10.

The other two skins on display, Kkachi Echo and Masked Dancer Moira are retro Lunar New Year skins that will be available during the 2023 event. Echo’s skin is a reward for beating arcade challenges, while the former returns as a Twitch bonus.

While some skins are free, most Overwatch players probably already have them from past seasons, while Mei’s skin can only be obtained by paying money. For the Year of the Rabbit, there are no more new skins. So it would be nice to see more innovative skins.

Another makeover of the festive map

The Lunar New Year edition of Lijiang Tower is a trendy map among players. The tower seems to have a new warmth as it is festively lit up. The Lunar New Year version of the Overwatch map is always highly anticipated by fans.

However, no other map has been given a makeover for Lunar New Year, even though Lijiang Tower is back and decked out with festive decorations.

Currently, we have several maps spread across Asia. To name a few, there is Shambali Monastery, Busan, and Kanezaka. However, it isn’t enjoyable to note that none of these maps have received the same festive treatment as Lijiang.

Tasks in the engine room should be more exciting

The new Lunar New Year arcade mode challenges are an improvement over some of the too-easy-to-complete events from the first Overwatch installment. The idea of “win nine ranked matches to get a skin” quickly became obsolete because many players could complete the week’s tasks in a single play session.

It’s great that Blizzard has made an effort to make these challenges in Overwatch 2 a little more distinctive. But in light of all that’s missing from this event, it still doesn’t feel enough.

The Lunar New Year challenges to focus on arcade modes and specific tasks in the various games. While none of these gameplay options are novel or distinctive, it might encourage more players, especially newcomers, to explore the arcade more.

Adding anything that would make the experience more memorable would be excellent.

Header: Blizzard Entertainment