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Overwatch will be bringing Christmas cheer to players around the world, as the Winter Wonderland event is on the snowy horizon. Overwatch has seen its fair share of lavish and otherworldly events this year, but the developers are now rounding up the reindeers for a Christmas-themed bonanza.
Previous Winter Wonderland events have spruced up Overwatch with festive fun, allowing players to earn cheery skins like Sugar Plum Fairy Mercy. Here are all the Overwatch Winter Wonderland 2021 details we know so far.
When Will Winter Wonderland 2021 Begin?
Currently, there is no official release date for Winter Wonderland’s return to Overwatch. Nonetheless, we can wager that the event will arrive in the game by December 15 at the latest. Previously, the Winter Wonderland schedule has followed this pattern:
- 2016: December 13th – 2nd January
- 2017: December 12th – 1st January
- 2018: December 11th – 2nd January
- 2019: December 10th – 2nd January
- 2020: December 15th – 5th January
As the pattern has never deviated past the 15th, the event could drop within the next two weeks. By this logic, we think that the event will most likely start on December 14 and conclude around January 3.
Winter Wonderland 2021 Rewards
With every Winter Wonderland event, Overwatch has gained five Legendary skins. It’s likely that three Epic skins will also be made available through the completion of various limited-time challenges. If this year’s event follows tradition, players will need to win a grand total of 27 games in order to access every Epic skin.
Speeding up that process, however, each match you play will count as two games in your overall tally. The previous format gives us a hint as to what to expect:
- Play 9 games: Gain an Icon
- Play 18 games: Unlock a Spray
- Play 27 games: Receive an Epic Skin
Winter Wonderland 2021 Game Modes
Aside from earning the unique Christmas rewards, the true highlight of Winter Wonderland is the addition of fresh game modes. Boasting a wealth of variety, Winter Wonderland 2020 showcased these modes to immense popularity:
- Mei’s Snowball Offensive: 6v6 snowball skirmishes that saw players battle as Mei.
- Snowball Deathmatch: Classic Free-For-All gameplay with eight players
- Yeti Hunter: An incredible mode that pits six Mei players against a singular Winston.
- Freezethaw Elimination: A 4v4 mode in which teams of Mei players compete to freeze the entire opposition and claim victory. Defrost teammates with a touch to turn the tide.
The developers will likely revitalize these modes for 2021 or bring an entirely new slate to the game. 2020’s event added the 4v4 Freezethaw Elimination mode, which means 2021 could bring something entirely new as well. That’s everything we know about Winter Wonderland 2021 for now, but be sure to check back in with us as more frosty details develop.
