Overwatch Update Adds Skins, Rocket League-Style Mode to Celebrate Olympics

With the 2016 Olympics just days away, Blizzard has released a big update for Overwatch themed around the event.

There are a few different components to this, starting with a new 3-on-3 Brawl mode called Lucioball. It's essentially Overwatch's take on Rocket League: Matches run for four minutes and see teams of Lucios trying to knock a giant ball into the opposing team's goal.

Lucio's abilities are somewhat restricted--for one, he can't shoot. Instead, he can punch (or use his Soundwave ability) to push the ball around, and he can still provide a speed boost (but only for himself). His Ultimate, which would otherwise be worthless in this mode, is replaced with one that draws the ball toward him. Certain areas around the map (which is decidedly Rocket League-like) allow him to jump high into the air, and new sound effects, including a soccer whistle, accompany all of this.

Alongside this Brawl is a batch of new, Olympics-themed skins for characters like Lucio, Zarya, and Tracer. (See them all here.) These can only be unlocked by opening new, limited-edition Summer Games Loot Boxes, each of which is guaranteed to have at least one of the 100-plus newly added cosmetic items. Those include player icons, sprays, and the aforementioned skins. You'll receive one of these for free upon opening the game and can earn more by playing. You can also purchase them with real-world money; the standard Loot Boxes have been temporarily removed from the store.

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In a post on the PlayStation Blog, Blizzard teased, "This is our very first seasonal event, but there are more on the horizon." These will also feature limited-edition Loot Boxes, maps, modes, and more.

The update is live now on PC, PS4, and Xbox One today and will remain available until August 22.