Overwatch update welcomes in Anniversary event and new skins

The Overwatch 3.11 update patch notes welcome in the game’s fifth birthday. The 2021 Anniversary event is the biggest segment of the update as it adds more skins to the returning event, some of which have already been spread around the internet. And while the skins are the big draw, there’s not much else as the May Overwatch update does not contain any balance changes or additional features.

Overwatch Anniversary event start and end date

The Overwatch Anniversary event starts on May 18 and ends on June 8. This gives everyone three weeks to enjoy the game’s birthday celebration and all of the new cosmetics and skins it adds. Each will bring back a brawl from another event. Lucioball is the first week, Junkenstein’s Revenge will be the following two weeks, the Winter Wonderland brawls are the next week, and the event will wrap up with the Year of the Ox Arcade modes.

All Overwatch Anniversary 2021 skins

There are eight new Overwatch Anniversary skins. They are:

Black Cat Sombra
Venus Moira
Funky Baptiste
Gladiator Doomfist
Junkfood Junkrat
Cybermedic Ana (Week 1 Challenge)
Birds of Paradise Echo (Week 2 Challenge)
8 Ball Wrecking Ball (Week 3 Challenge)

Just keep in mind that Anniversary events have gear from all of the other loot boxes in the event so the chances of getting this year’s specific gear is a big smaller than it would be in any other event. However, everyone who logs in during the event gets a free Legendary loot box.

The last three skins are rewards for playing Overwatch games. This is different from past events. Aside from the last event that made players earn stars in seasonal PvE modes, the game usually asks that players win nine games to get the skin. This time, it just asks that players play 27 games regardless of whether they win or lose.

Full Overwatch 3.11 update patch notes

OVERWATCH ANNIVERSARY 2021

We’re celebrating Overwatch’s fifth anniversary with brand new items, including Legendary skins like Funky Baptiste, Venus Moira, Junkfood Junkrat, and more! Participate in the weekly anniversary Challenges for even more amazing rewards, such as Cybermedic Ana, Bird of Paradise Echo, and the 8 Ball Wrecking Ball skin.

If you missed any Overwatch events from the previous years, you’ll be able to unlock items from past events using credits or by opening Loot Boxes. Every day, we’ll feature a set of your favorite seasonal brawls in the Arcade.

Thank you for playing Overwatch with us for half a decade. We can’t wait to show you what we have in store for Overwatch 2!

GENERAL UPDATES

Feature Update: Nameplate Voice Icons

Nameplates now indicate which teammates are speaking in Team or Group voice chat channels. This feature is also available for Match voice chat channels when enabled in Custom Games. The voice icon color will match the color of the voice chat channel players are speaking in.

Overwatch League Away (White) Skins

Players who have previously earned a hero’s Overwatch League Home (Gray) skin through historical promotions will now be automatically granted that hero’s corresponding Overwatch League Away (White) skin.

COMPETTIVE UPDATES

Competitive Deathmatch

Competitive Deathmatch Season 4 has begun! Now through June 8th, 2021, compete in Competitive 8-player free for all Deathmatch to earn a rank and rewards.

BUG FIXES

General

Fixed a bug that prevented players from being selected on the player list within the replay controls when using a mouse
Fixed a bug with team composition tips appearing on hero select in non-Role-Queue 6v6 game modes
Fixed a bug that prevented Hero Select from opening properly on Horizon Lunar Colony under specific circumstances
Fixed a bug that caused some heroes to not restore their ability charges immediately after respawning
Fixed a bug that caused voice lines found in Loot Boxes to not play their waveforms when inspected

Maps

Hanamura

Fixed a bug that caused players to become stuck on top of some map geometry

Nepal

Fixed a bug that allowed players to stand on top of the bell

Oasis

Updated a location to no longer be reachable by players

Heroes

Baptiste

Fixed a bug that allowed phased out teammates to be healed by Baptiste’s Biotic Launcher
Fixed a bug that caused the lingering aura of an expired Immortality Field to remain on a player who leaves the expired field’s area of effect

Junkrat

Fixed a bug that caused Junkrat’s RIP-Tire to teleport to the floor if his ultimate is triggered from a high ledge
Fixed a bug that caused the default RIP-Tire portrait to appear when equipping specific skins

Roadhog