Get ready for another mad dash for new skins, Overwatch fans.
Blizzard has launched the newest holiday event for its team-based shooter. Year of the Rooster celebrates Lunar New Year by adding cosmetics like skins and voice lines that players can unlock from special loot boxes (which you can earn in the game or buy with real money). It also adds a new mode, Capture the Rooster, which follows the Capture the Flag archetype made famous in other shooters (notably Team Fortress, which Overwatch has taken more than a little inspiration from). It takes place on the Lijiang Tower map.
These holiday events keep players engaged, giving them new experiences and limited-time cosmetics to unlock. It also encourages many to spend real money on loot boxes, since it’s the easiest way to unlock those new outfits. The new skins feature traditional Chinese clothes and costumes based on characters from the classic Chinese story Journey to the West.
This is the fourth holiday event for Overwatch since it launched last May for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC, with previous ones themed around the Summer Olympics, Halloween, and Christmas. This is the first one that doesn’t involve a holiday or event celebrated by most Americans. Blizzard has fans all over the world. Overwatch itself features an international cast (including Mei, who is herself Chinesee), so it makes sense to see the developer embrace holidays from around the world.