Overwatch 2 devs give away Season 5 skins for free after accidentally enabling them early

Overwatch 2’s devs gave away free Season 5 skins from the upcoming Summer Games event after accidentally enabling them early. 

Season 5 of Overwatch 2 is on the horizon, releasing in a week, and the devs have been raring to go with the teasers revealing the season’s theme of fantasy, and the skins which players can get in the Battle Pass.

However, it seems they may have gotten a bit over-eager to get started, especially with the return of the Summer Games Event. 

In a now-deleted tweet by Overwatch leaker Naeri, she pointed out that Sprinkles Mei and Track and Field Tracer were released before the Sseason even started. 

Two skins planned to be given away during Season 5 to celebrate Summer Games were accidentally enabled for a short period of time today. We've since fixed the issue. Log in later in Season 5 to claim these skins… and if you were able to do it earlier… congratulations!

— Aaron Keller (@aaronkellerOW) June 8, 2023

In response to the accidental release, Director of Overwatch, Aaron Keller addressed the problem, and congratulated those who were able to claim it before it was taken down. 

“Two skins planned to be given away during Season 5 to celebrate Summer Games were accidentally enabled for a short period of time today,” Keller stated. 

“We’ve since fixed the issue. Log in later in Season 5 to claim these skins” he reassured players, saying it will still be given away for free in Season 5. “And if you were able to do it earlier, congratulations!”

Both Mei and Tracer skins were older skins that were already featured in older iterations of the Summer Games. Sprinkle Mei appeared in 2021’s version, and Track and Field Tracer in 2016. 

The devs seem to be deciding to give away some of the older Summer Games skins, mostly likely so newer players who just picked up the game at the transition into Overwatch 2 aren’t left behind.