‘Overwatch’ Olympic Skins For Characters Released; New Sporty Mode Added

Blizzard Entertainment’s “Overwatch” surprised many gamers today after releasing a new update that is very timely with the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

For “Overwatch” players who are enjoying the colorful team shooter on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC, they will be experiencing a likeable shift from shooting to playing sports.

The game has reportedly received an athletic makeover via an update that features so many Olympic-themed content, gamers will be delighted with the numerous skins and icons to choose from, according to TechRadar.

The changes that are going to go live from today until Aug. 22 also include a new sporty mode called Lúcioball that is basically fútbol with Brazilian footballer Lucimar Ferreira da Silva as the main attraction.

“Overwatch” characters can be customized using the cosmetic items sold through Blizzard’s randomized crates called Loot Boxes that can be obtained either by diligently playing the game and leveling up or by purchasing Boxes with real money via the in-game shop.

The problem with this feature however is, players do not know what they are getting inside the Loot Boxes. What’s worse is they can earn or purchase Loot Boxes with the same items inside, as pointed out by Eurogamer.

Addressing the issue which many players regard as unfair and a scheme to earning more money from gamers, “Overwatch” development chief Jeff Kaplan said in a Developer Update video clip that providing Loot Boxes with the same items inside is a means of ensuring that some items would feel rare and extra special.

“We actually don't expect that all players will get all summer games items. We want this to be a thing where six months from now, when the Summer Games has long past, that you look back on somebody who's in that cool Summer Games Zarya skin and go, oh man, I can't wait until next year when the Summer Games happens, maybe I'll be lucky enough to get that skin,” Kaplan added.

Some of the items gamers can get from the Loot Boxes are special character skins, player icons, themed sprays, highlight intros and victory poses inspired by the Rio Olympic Games, according to PlayOverwatch.

While this is the first seasonal event in “Overwatch,” the team behind the game has promised that players can expect more of this in the near future.

Check out the official trailer of the “Overwatch Summer Games” below.