Overwatch Summer Games Event 2021: Dates, skins, more

The Overwatch Summer Games event comes around every year and offers a whole host of awesome in-game loot. Here’s everything you need to know for 2021, including dates, skins and more.

Overwatch is home to some incredible character skins, but some of the very best are released as part of the Summer Games event. This year’s update will see our favorite heroes and villains donning some incredibly cool beach-inspired skins and Olympic Games-style cosmetics.

Whether you’re looking to save your hard-earned credits for the upcoming Summer Games skins or just wish to see what Blizzard has in store for the 2021 iteration, then we have you covered.

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What is Overwatch Summer Games?

The concept behind Overwatch’s Summer Games event is pretty simple. Based on the real-life Olympic Games, we see a whole slew of sports-based events, skins, and challenges.

That’s not all, though. For those players who aren’t feeling particularly athletic, there are several other skins perfectly suited for a day sunbathing on the beach or going for a stroll in the sun with some ice cream. During Summer Games, there’s literally something for everyone.

When is Overwatch Summer Games?

After months of speculation Blizzard has confirmed that the Summer Games 2021 event will kick off on Tuesday, July 20. The latest iteration is expected to run through until Tuesday, August 10, giving players three weeks in total to enjoy the festivities.

This aligns with previous years that started and ended on a similar schedule. The dates of the last few years’ Summer Games events are listed below to give you a clearer picture:

• 2016: August 2nd – August 22nd
• 2017: August 8th – August 29th
• 2018: August 9th- August 31st
• 2019: July 16th – August 5th
• 2020: August 4th – August 25th
• 2021: July 20th – August 10th

While the obvious outlier is 2019’s Summer Games, the general pattern seems to be within the first couple of weeks of August. For 2021, however, Blizzard is kicking things off early once again with a July 20 start.

Overwatch Summer Games skins & cosmetics

Every Summer Games event is accompanied by three Epic Skins and five Legendary skins, alongside a whole collection of other summer-themed goodies.

The most popular skins are quite often the ones representing a heroes’ country. Taegeukgi D.VA, Eidgenossin Mercy and Mexicana Sombra are all decorated in their country’s regional colors and flags, just as you’d see during a real-life Olympics.

Sport-specific skins are also some of the event’s most popular, and sometimes hilarious, drops. These include Kendoka Genji, Surf’s Up Echo, and Fastball Zenyatta, all of which show off the character’s sport of choice.

For the 2021 event, below is a full rundown on every new skin up for grabs.

Sprinkles Mei – Legendary Skin

Mermaid Symmetra – Legendary Skin

Poolside Ashe – Legendary Skin

Scuba Sigma – Legendary Skin

Referee Orisa – Legendary Skin

Ocean King Winston – Epic Skin

Sunset Pharah – Epic Skin

Nihon Hanzo – Epic Skin

So there you have it, a look at every new Legendary and Epic skin in the 2021 Summer Games event.

Summer Games Weekly Challenges

In order to get your hands on this year’s weekly rewards, you’ll have to complete a set of unique challenges. This time around, things couldn’t be simpler for the 2021 Summer Games event.

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All that’s required is for you to play a set number of games. Rewards will be unlocked after playing 9, 18, and 27 games respectively.

Simply playing games across Quick Play, Arcade, or Competitive Play will count as progress towards the targets. Furthermore, winning a game will count as playing two games, helping you reach the goal that much quicker.

The weekly Summer Games rewards are as follows:

• Week 1: Ocean King Winston
• Week 2: Sunset Pharah
• Week 3: Nihon Hanzo

A new week equals a new set of cosmetics, with the all-important skins being the pot of gold at the end of the Overwatch rainbow.

Lucioball Mode

There’s no nation with a more accomplished soccer history than Brazil, so it makes a lot of sense that the Summer Games event brings Lucioball back into the game.

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Featuring three special locations (Busan Stadium, Sydney Harbour Arena, and Estádio das Rãs) you’ll be tasked with completing weekly brawl challenges.

With every player locking in the Brazilian support, you’ll be zooming around the stadium using Crossfade and Soundwave, alongside Lucio’s new ability Turbo Boost to increase skating and jump speed.

Each game lasts for four minutes, or six if you’re playing competitive. Score the most points, and the glory is yours! And if you fancy more chaos, Lucioball Remix is also available with two balls instead of one.

That’s all you need to know about the Overwatch Summer Games Event! As more details become available we’ll update this page, so make sure to check back soon

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