Overwatch‘s Summer Games 2017 event is now live, along with Lucioball, new loot boxes, and all of the skins, sprays, and content therein. Blizzard launched the event after a lengthy server maintenance, publishing a brand new trailer showcasing some highlighted loot box content. There are over 50 new seasonal items within the new Summer Games 2017 loot boxes, and the Summer Games 2016 content is available for the duration of the event too. Check out the video below:
The heart of the Summer Games event in 2017 is once again Lucioball. Players can log-in to Overwatch and play an updated Lucioball right now, earning a free loot box in the new Sydney, Australia stadium. Gameplay has been altered to prevent Lucios from booping each other, and Lucio’s ultimate now buffs his own speed and agility rather than simply pulling the ball directly towards himself. These changes should dramatically alter the competitive playfield of Lucioball for the better.
Speaking of competitive Lucioball, Blizzard has also released a second much-demanded Copa Lucioball arcade mode. The “Lucioball Cup” is just like ranked Overwatch in structure. Players will start out going through 10 placement matches, after which they will be put into a skill-appropriate rank where they can then try to climb into the top rankings. Getting through placements rewards an exclusive spray, and getting into the top 500 Copa Lucioball players rewards an even more exclusive spray.
For the first time in Overwatch history, classic event loot box content has been brought back. Summer Games 2016 loot box items are also available in the Summer Games 2017 loot boxes, which might be frustrating for some players. The new way loot boxes avoid duplicates will make it so players don’t often get the same Legendary, but it will instead pick older Legendaries rather than new ones. Alternatively, players can purchase the older Summer Games items at normal credit prices rather than the inflated 3x prices of new items.
The Summer Games 2017 event will last from today through August 28. Then Lucioball and all of the Summer Games 2016 and 2017 loot box content goes back into the vault until next year. Make sure to take advantage of the season and enjoy the summer, Overwatch fans. Overwatch is available now on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.