Overwatch Summer Games 2020: What You Need To Know
Published: Aug 7, 2020 - Last Updated: Aug 12, 2020
The Overwatch Summer Games officially kicked off on the 4th August 2020 and this year there’s a number of changes, including a brand-new version of Lucioball and a bunch of new fire cosmetics. The event is also running right until the 26th August, so you’ve got plenty of time to start earning the new skills and sprays.
This year, there’s a number of notable changes including a brand new version of Lucioball, some changes to the existing game – and, of course, the famed weekly challenges. Let’s take a look at what’s new and what you can expect when playing in this year’s Overwatch Summer Games!
New Game Mode – Lucioball Remix
Lucioball has long been one of Overwatch’s most popular mini-games and it’s been around since the first Summer Games event which took place four years ago back in 2016. Ever since its release, players have ruminated over the idea of playing Lucioball with different in-game heroes, and that’s why, this year, players will be able to enjoy a far more chaotic, fast-paced experience.
The game will now have two balls in play at once, and if a ball is scored the second ball will then respawn after a very short period of time; bonus balls are also periodically spawned and are worth three points so they’re well worth looking out for.
Unlike previous versions of Lucioball, players are not reset when a goal is scored in the Lucioball Remix version of the game – you get to keep playing, ensuring less waiting around and more action. The new version also features what’s known as the “Mercy Rule”; if one team has a 10-point lead (at any point during the match) the game will end early – allowing a greater number of rounds to be played each hour.
Busan is also getting a brand new set of pillars and surfaces and this ensures even more wall-rising opportunities for players. Finally, Sydney is also seeing a large number of jump pad surfaces being added, with more wall riding options created too.
Updates To Lucioball
There are also a number of updates being made to the standard version of Lucioball, and these are all designed to increase the amount of enjoyment players experience while playing the game. First off, you can now crouch while midair, allowing you to lunge down to the ground instantly. Lucio’s cooldowns have also been made much shorter, ensuring there’s less waiting around and more action.
We’ve also seen an increase to the boop and punch range in Lucio, and his actual movement has been sped-up too, again, decreasing the time players need to spend waiting around and ensuring more game rounds can be played each hour.
Jump pads have also been modified slightly to allow players to jump higher from the ground and a newly-added gamepad rumble accompanies all goal-scoring moments. The final addition to Luciobal is the Mercy Rule; if a team has a 5-point lead (at any point during the match) the game will end early, allowing players to begin participating in a new round right away.
Weekly Challenges
As always, weekly challenges are available for the duration of the event and these can be played in Quick Play, Competitive Play, or Arcade Play modes for limited-time sprays. There are also new player icons, and an epic skin has been added on top of standard earnings which players normally receive when playing Overwatch. The breakdown of the weekly challenges can be seen below:
Week 1
- Win 3 Games | Baseballmari Player Icon
- Win 6 Games | Union Jack Spray
- Win 9 Games | Union Jack Tracer Epic Skin
Week 2
- Win 3 Games | Golfmari Player Icon
- Win 6 Games | Sand Castle Spray
- Win 9 Games | Sand Castle Bastion Epic Skin
Week 3
- Win 3 Games | Surfimari Player Icon
- Win 6 Games | Ice Cream Spray
- Win 9 Games | Ice Cream Orisa Epic Skin
There’s New Cosmetics, Too!
For the Overwatch Summer Games, 2020 event players will also find a number of new cosmetics added to the game. There are 5 new Legendary Skins, including Tropical Baptiste, Lifeguard Pharah, Feskarn Brigitte, Karate Doomfist, and Surf’s Up Echo, and there are also 3 new Epic Skins added in.
In addition to the Weekly Challenge Rewards, players will also see a wide variety of other new cosmetics which includes 2 highlight intros, one new emote, 7 brand-new player icons, and two different sprays.
The full details can be found at www.playoverwatch.com and like all years in the past, 2020’s event looks set to see a record-breaking turnout!
