Overwatch is celebrating its 10-year anniversary this month and Blizzard has revealed a special in-game event players can look forward to as well as all the various loot boxes and rewards that will be available. It’s been a long and winding road for Overwatch over these past 10 years, with plenty of ups and downs for the popular hero shooter.
In fact, Overwatch went through its biggest transformation yet in 2026. Many would argue that Blizzard lost its way a bit by ending the original Overwatch and replacing it with a dedicated sequel, the studio eventually found its footing and continued to improve the game before unleashing its biggest update yet. In February, Blizzard announced a massive overhaul for Overwatch by dropping the “2” from the title and completely reworking the narrative element of the game. In addition to many other enhancements and changes, Blizzard released 5 new heroes for Season 1, with an additional 5 set to launch over the rest of the year. Not only was it a major splash, but it paid off as Overwatch hit new levels of popularity.
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Overwatch Celebrates 10 Years With a New Event
Despite launching a sequel back in 2023 and essentially rebranding it back to Overwatch earlier this year, Blizzard has announced plans to celebrate the franchise’s 10th anniversary. The original Overwatch launched back on May 24, 2016, and Blizzard is making sure to celebrate that longevity. Overwatch Anniversary 2026 kicks off on May 12 and runs through June 1 with a variety of cosmetic rewards to obtain as well, though as it stands, it’s unknown just exactly what will be given away for free, what is paid, and what can potentially be earned.
Drag weapons to fill the grid
Drag weapons to fill the grid
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The Twitter page from the official Overwatch account reveals many of the cosmetic rewards that will be available, though it does lack a few specifics which an accompanying trailer or blog post will likely serve to fill in. For now, Blizzard has confirmed the Anniversary event will feature 21 launch hero skins, 15 anniversary loot boxes, 33 development team and community made 2D cosmetics, such as banners, and 5 unique weapon charms, with the one on display featuring the number 10 with what appears to be Mercy wings. Again, details on what the cosmetics will look like as well as which characters are getting them remain unknown for now, though Mercy, Tracer, and Winston are featured in the image. It stands to reason that the original Overwatch cast will be heavily featured since this is an anniversary event.
In terms of what players can potentially earn, the graphic does mention that players can earn exclusive anniversary titles. There also appears to be a community challenge that will kick off during the event, with everyone working together to complete challenges and earn Overwatch‘s legendary loot boxes each week. The post also teases “much more”, hinting at more announcements to come ahead of the event’s arrival this week.
What’s That Weapon?
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Easy (7.5s)Medium (5.0s)Hard (2.5s)Permadeath (2.5s)
Prior to the event’s launch, fans have a limited time to earn more loot boxes by participating in Overwatch‘s current event known as Junkrat’s Loot Hunt. Running from May 8-12, players have been able to earn up to nine free Loot Boxes by playing the game, while also doubling their Battle Pass XP gains. With only a limited amount of time left to take advantage, Blizzard isn’t waiting around to kick off another lucrative event for players, as Overwatch will then dive straight into its Anniversary content.
- Released
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August 10, 2023
- ESRB
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Teen / Violence, Blood, Mild Language, Use of Tobacco, Users Interact, In-Game Purchases (Includes Random Items)
