After a long hiatus, gear up for some fun in the sun! As the warm weather begins to roll in and mark the beginning of Summer, the annual Summer Games event for Overwatch 2 is set to begin starting today, July 11.

With summer-themed skins and cosmetics like the Lifeguard Mercy skin and two game modes, Winston's Beach Volleyball and Lucioball, to look forward to, Overwatch 2 fans are in for a treat! Let's dive right into everything the Overwatch 2 Summer Games 2023 has to offer!

Overwatch 2 Summer Games: Release Date

The Overwatch 2 Summer Games 2023 start date will be July 11, aligning with Overwatch 2's traditional updates on Tuesdays.

As with previous iterations, the Summer Games event should last around 2 weeks, ending on July 25.

Overwatch 2 Summer Games: Lucioball

Old-time Overwatch players will recognize the long-running fan-favorite game mode, Lucioball, as a special game mode for the seasonal event. This game mode is similar to Rocket League, replacing the rocket-powered cars with Lucios. The 2020 Summer Games introduced Lucioball remixed, but it is yet unclear what the 2023 Summer Games will throw at players.

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In a 3v3 format, players must work together to try and score in the opposing team's goal by using their wall riding skills and Lucio's Sonic Amplifier to boop the ball. It is harder than it sounds, as every Lucioball game is extremely fast-paced, so communication and coordination are key!

Overwatch 2 Summer Games: Winston's Beach Volleyball

Alongside Lucioball, Blizzard Entertainment teased the new game mode, Winston's Beach Volleyball, featuring everyone's favorite banana-loving scientist.

According to developers, players must play as Winston and "run, jump, and spike a giant volleyball, scoring against opponents when the ball hits the sand."

Overwatch 2 Summer Games: Event Challenges

As with previous events like Loverwatch and OW x One Punch Man, Blizzard will introduce several limited-time event challenges and free rewards for players to get their hands on. These range from Battle Pass XP to an event-exclusive tropical Doomfist skin.

Generic Challenges

  • Fun in the Sun - Complete 6 games (Wins grant double progress). Rewards the player with the "Long Jump Sojourn - Player Icon" and "Long Jump Sojourn - Spray"
  • Midsummer Winner - Complete 12 games (Wins grant double progress). Rewards the player with the "Rugby Junker Queen - Player Icon" and "Rugby Junker Queen - Spray"
  • Shining Athlete - Complete 18 games (Wins grant double progress). Rewards the player with "Mountain Bike Kiriko - Player Icon" and "Mountain Bike Kiriko - Spray."
  • Summer Champion - Complete 24 games (Wins grant double progress). Rewards the player with "Judo Rammattra - Player Icon" and "Judo Rammattra Spray"
  • Summer Sandsation - Complete 6 Summer Games 2023 Event Challenges. Rewards players with the "Tropical Doomfist (Epic Skin)" and 25,000 Battle Pass XP.

Lucioball Challenges

  • Lucio's Striker - Complete 5 games of Lucioball or Lucioball Remix. (Wins grant double progress). Rewards players with the "Lucioball Weapon Charm" and 5,000 Battle Pass XP.
  • Ultimate Breakdown - Use your Ultimate 3 times in Lucioball or Lucioball Remix. Rewards the player with "Hoop Lifeweaver - Player Icon" and "Rhythmic Gymnastics Spray"
  • Multi-Sport Champ - Score a total of 60 assists, saves, or goals, in either of the Lucioball game modes or Winston's Beach Volleyball. Rewards the player with 10,000 Battle Pass XP.

Winston's Beach Volleyball Challenges

  • Ultimate Player - As a team, score 3 points with Ultimate Play in Winston's Beach Volleyball. Rewards the player with the "On Vacation Doomfist Spray" and 5,000 Battle Pass XP.
  • Winston's Ace - Complete 5 games of Winston's Beach Volleyball (Wins grant double progress). Rewards players with the "On Vacation Victory Pose - Doomfist" and 5,000 Battle Pass XP.

Overwatch 2 Summer Games: Shop Items

Some summer-themed cosmetics will make a splash in the in-game shop, with Blizzard revealing a sneak peek at the Lifeguard Mercy skin in their roadmap for Season 5. We will update this article with new skins arriving in the shop in the coming weeks, so keep an eye out!

Players will also have the opportunity to claim older Summer Games skins for free in the shop, like the Sprinkles Mei and Track and Field Tracer skins.

Concluding Thoughts

Throw your sunscreen on and dive into the Overwatch 2 Summer Games 2023 on July 11! We will update this article with all the event challenges and all the beach-themed skins to land in the shop, so stay tuned!

Want more Overwatch 2 content? We have articles on all the best OW2 crosshairs, the ranking system, maps, and how to unlock every hero!