Happy Birthday Overwatch! Wow, five short years of sleep darts, flashbangs, and boops off the map have really made the years fly by! Widely regarded as the best event in the game, this is the wild card event. Blizzard say to the designers, ‘Do what you want’ which is why the skins are so different and out of the box. Gamemodes change daily, skins return from prior events and some fresh new dance emotes get the group together for the ultimate celebration. From Cyborgs to Sentais, book characters to unique creations, fans have no idea what to expect. What will we get this year?
Junkrat Junkfood 5/5
Willy Wonka went to Candyland and lost his mind. Well… more than he already had! This is like Lazytown on acid… or sugar! Junkrat looks extremely dapper in this pink and striped suit, albeit a little dated with the puffy shoulders and gold bell buttons. It’s the sugar embellishments that put it over the edge into Drag King territory. The one boot covered in ice cream and the other being a literal candy cane; The sweet ball decorations for the shoulder straps; The huge wheel on his back being a lollypop with candy corns treads! On top of all that, the makeup with this rosy blush making it almost cartoony and the insane cotton candy hair with a bubble-gum gradient and crown, come on! Any fans that have a sweet tooth will have lost their health insurance with this one. It shows the quality that Blizzard are constantly giving and certainly a look sweeter than candy!
Black Cat Sombra 5/5
Perfectly representing her sneaky persona, Sombra is dressed as a cat burglar but make it fashion. This is quintessential Sombra while tying in with a little DC comics. In a slim fitting feline cat suit, Sombra is giving catwoman couture. It’s a smooth return to her signature purple and the blue accents really give it that futuristic feeling. That attention to detail players have come to expect are there with the high collar, the cat face belt and purple lipstick. The mask, cat ears and totally impractical belt put this in it’s comic book realm. She a high fashion feline hacker who might caught up a hair ball in the server if you aren’t careful!
Funky Baptise 3/5
Is that Bruno Mars? Nope but with Lucio and this skin a new rival band might come out of Gibraltar! This 70’s inspired skin is a fresh look for Baptiste who’s deserved a new look for a while! He seriously looks like he’s been time warped straight into battle! This is something that I would wear now. The red leather jacket and funky patterned shirt underneath and the bell bottom jeans to match. It’s eye grabbing, it’s stylish, and it’s probably something your Dad has stored at the back of the closet! The head is a complete departure for Baptiste. The afro and facial hair with these statement orange glasses completely change up his mug. The giant necklace says, ‘You know what time it is!’ and really finishes up this Disco Time look for this Healing Diva.
Echo Bird of Paradise 3/5
Another skin for Echo and another hit. This is a quality Epic for the designer’s favourite hero of the year. She’s been a surfer, a doll, a magpie and now she’s on holiday to a tropical island. Amongst the leafy wings and legs are these delicious vibrant colours even onto the face that pack a punch to the eye. The simple pattern on the torso is understated. The crown on the head is the final part that puts this in fiesta teritory. From crown to toe she’s a tropical fairy.
Venus Moira 3/5
Doing Poison IV bag like Joey Jay never could, Moira is matching Sombra in another DC inspired skin. She’s literally a walking Venus Fly Trap! The hair and makeup are so delicate with the green emo do and the feminine pink flower. Meanwhile, the outfit is much more deadly from the green to red gradient to the thorns across the skin… Don’t get too close and it’ll be the last mistake you’ll make! The science vibe is certainly still there. The purple tubes give an impression of flora experimentation like something out of Resident Evil. The back is probably the most impressive moment which is the flower that everything else has stemmed from. This is an iconic look that will be great for any Moira main. At least, that’s what I heard from the grapevine…
Gladiator Doomfist 3/5
Recently there have been a few similar themes between Overwatch and Apex Legends! Sadly it’s tough to rate this one without drawing comparisons between the two. Like a partially charged L2, this falls a little short. It’s certainly giving authentic gladiator. The bare body covered solely by an animal pelt and the golden helmet with the red stripe both put this straight into the colosseum. The fist is certainly the main feature, fitting his playstyle. Unfortunately it’s a little obvious for Doomfist, meaning that it doesn’t stand out amongst the other additions. The win was in the palm of his hand, however it’s been snatched out by a rival team.
The names Ball. Wrecking Ball. It might not be 007 but this eight ball skin is a bit of tongue and cheek for Wrecking Ball fans. Hammond looks dapper in his dinner jacket like a snooker player. The eight ball that’s he’s striking with is sleek with a few wood elements to break up this skin just being completely black. It’s not bad but for Wrecking Ball fans, only this skin all year is very disappointing.
Ana Cybermedic 1/5
This is a typical Ana epic. The lined cape, the mask moment, it’s very familiar but in a different colour. This cyberpunk vibe from the purples and the visor are fresh but the pink hair doesn’t go. Maybe a sleek bob instead? It’s not a huge change for Ana but it is somewhat of a new look.
Overall this event as well as the other five new collections have been bright additions for a very gloomy year. Fingers crossed for another year of incredible skins as Summer is just around the corner!
