Overwatch’s 10th Anniversary Event Gets a Revamp: More Rewards Coming Soon!

The 10th anniversary celebration of Overwatch has not exactly hit the mark for many players. Fans were hoping for something grand to commemorate a decade of this beloved game, but what they received was a grind for loot boxes filled with old skins in new colors and some sprays. For a milestone this significant, many gamers felt that the effort required didn’t quite reflect the occasion.

Players have been longing for a chance to earn back-catalog cosmetics, especially considering the rich variety of items that have been available in the past, many of which were only accessible for a limited time. Looking back at Overwatch 1, players used to be rewarded with anniversary loot boxes that featured nearly every cosmetic ever released. Compounding their frustrations, the event in China appears to be much more generous, offering rewards that aren’t even available globally, like skins from prior battle passes.

This wave of disappointment on social media reached game director Aaron Keller, who took to X to address the community’s concerns. He acknowledged that player reactions were “fair” and announced that improvements to the event will be rolling out next week.

Instead of the hefty grind of nearly 100 matches to earn those coveted anniversary loot boxes, players will now only need to complete 60 matches, with each win counting as double. Plus, the loot boxes awarded for filling up a challenge meter will see their numbers boosted; next week, they will double, and the week after, they will triple. To top it off, everyone who logs in during the final week will receive a special anniversary loot box packed with four Legendary skins!

But that’s not all! Looking forward, there are plans for an additional season-long event in Season 3, offering even more rewards. The team is also expanding the earnable rewards in their weekly Play N Games tracker, along with brainstorming other ideas for the latter part of the year.

Keller mentioned that while the future rewards won’t retroactively enhance the current event, they hope to provide some perspective on their overall approach this year. Initial feedback to these announcements has been largely positive, although some players remain critical of the recolored anniversary skins, expressing a desire for more premium skins to be given away for free.

As someone who has seen the influx of pricey shop cosmetics in recent years, my expectations were already tempered for events like this. However, it would have been fantastic to see more unique offerings for such a significant anniversary. The introduction of a “classic” mode, which aims to replicate the original game experience, is a fun addition, but gamers would have appreciated cosmetics that actually reflect the rich history of Overwatch. After all, this game has created a lasting impact and defined a sub-genre in FPS gaming. A few recolored skins and some meme-inspired sprays just don’t seem to do justice to such an incredible milestone.