Tokki is in a festive mood (pic: Blizzard)
The Winter Wonderland special has finally arrived in Overwatch 2, adding a bunch of holiday-themed skins and modes.
Overwatch 2 continues the annual tradition of Overwatch 1 launching a winter-themed event a few weeks into December.
2022 marks the first time Winter Wonderland has appeared in Overwatch 2, making it all the more special for players, as they wait to see what new frosty skins will be added to the sequel.
Having launched only a few hours ago, let’s go over everything that’s new this time around, and how long you’ll get to enjoy it.
How long will Winter Wonderland last in Overwatch 2?
If you’re worried about whether you’ll have enough time to explore the Winter Wonderland festivities, you’ll be happy to know that they will last up until Wednesday, January 4.
In case you’ve missed it, the winter-themed event went live on Tuesday, December 13, meaning it’s already available to play.
Whether you want to join in the special arcade modes or simply enjoy the snowy aesthetics is up to you, but do make sure to log into the game to get some limited-time freebies.
What new modes can you play during Winter Wonderland in Overwatch 2?
There are several ice cold arcade modes lined up for this year’s Winter Wonderland, which you can play to complete challenges and unlock weapon charms, player icons, sprays, and more.
The first new mode you’ll spot is Mei’s Snowball Offensive, where Mei no longer fires a stream of frost or icicles, but instead fires snowballs. This new ability instantly knocks out Mei’s opponents in a 6v6 elimination or an 8-player free-for-all deathmatch ruleset.
Beware of the rampaging Yeti (pic: Blizzard)
Next is Mei’s Yeti Hunt, a unique 5v1 raid-boss brawl, where you’ll get to fight a Yeti that’s stealing food from the local village.
Your team will consist of five Mei players to set traps and freeze the rampaging Yeti. However, you need to be careful as if he steals too much meat, he will go into a rage and become extra powerful.
You can freeze enemies on the spot (pic: Blizzard)
Finally, Freezethaw Elimination is Overwatch 2’s version of freeze tag. The goal of this mode is to freeze all your opponents by eliminating them, while getting your own teammates back in the game by thawing them out.
You won’t be able to complete the game unless you make sure to chill each of your opponents to the bone in this elimination style game mode.
All Winter Wonderland Challenges in Overwatch 2
While playing the new Winter Wonderland modes, make sure to keep an eye out for new challenges, which will give you access to special skins, like the epic tier ‘Ice Queen Brigitte’ skin.
There are nine challenges in total. Here’s what you need to do to complete each one, as well as the rewards you’ll unlock:
Season’s Greetings: Complete 6 Winter Wonderland challenges (Ice Queen Brigitte Skin and Snowman Head Weapon Charm)
Snowstorm: Win a game in Snowball Deathmatch (1,500 battle pass XP)
Abominable: Win a game in Yeti Hunter as a Yeti (Ramattra Ornament Spray and 1,500 battle pass XP)
Block of Ice: Block 8 snowballs with Cryo-Freeze or Ice Wall in Snowball Deathmatch or Mei’s Snowball Offensive (Sojourn Ornament Spray and 1,500 battle pass XP)
Monster Hunter: Win a game in Yeti Hunter as a Mei (1,500 battle pass XP)
Warmhearted: Thaw 15 allies in Freezethaw Elimination (Kiriko Ornament spray and 1,500 battle pass XP)
Caught a Cold: Catch 6 snowballs in Snowball Deathmatch (Junker Queen Ornament spray and 1,500 battle pass XP)
Time for Cocoa: Win a game in Mei’s Snowball Offensive (1,500 battle pass XP)
Unthawed: Win a game of Freezethaw Elimination (1,500 battle pass XP)
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How to claim the Sleighing D.Va legendary skin in Overwatch 2
As usual, Winter Wonderland has brought a few presents with it, in the form of high tier Overwatch 2 cosmetics.
Starting on Christmas Day (it’s a Sunday this year) and going on through Wednesday, January 4 you should tune into drops-enabled Twitch channels under the Overwatch 2 category to get some D.Va freebies.
The first freebie is the Festive D.Va victory pose, which you can earn by watching two hours of your favourite Overwatch 2 channels.
When you watch an additional four hours, you’ll unlock the legendary-tier Sleighing D.Va skin.
It’s lovely weather for a sleigh ride with D.Va (pic: Blizzard)
As always, to claim these Twitch drops, make sure you’ve linked your Battle.net account to your Twitch profile.
If you log into Overwatch 2 from Tuesday, December 20 to the end of Winter Wonderland you’ll also receive the Festive Wreath weapon charm and the 2023 player icon for free, so make sure to do that.
Alongside the Winter Wonderland freebies, you can claim some free gear for Overwatch 2’s latest character Ramattra.
These cosmetics are part of the Season 2 launch drops, which means there will be many more revealed in the coming weeks.
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The Winter Wonderland special has finally arrived in Overwatch 2, adding a bunch of holiday-themed skins and modes.
