Overwatch 2 Winter Wonderland 2022: Christmas event dates, exclusive skins, modes, more

Overwatch 2’s first Winter Wonderland event is now active as the festive season is well underway. Here’s everything you need to know about the Christmas special, from skins, modes and everything in between.

Having launched earlier this year, Overwatch 2’s holiday events kicked off shortly after with the recent Halloween special, Junkenstein’s Revenge. With Christmas coming up, however, the Overwatch community is now able to dive into the next edition of the popular Winter Wonderland event.

From key dates to keep in mind to a look at the limited-time modes on offer, here’s a complete rundown on all there is to know about the 2022 Winter Wonderland event in Overwatch 2.

Overwatch 2 Winter Wonderland 2022 event dates

Overwatch 2’s first Winter Wonderland event got underway on Tuesday, December 13, 2022. Currently, it’s set to run through until Wednesday, January 4, 2023.

This gives players three weeks to make the most of the festivities and grab the limited-time cosmetics before they’re out of the rotation for another year.

Winter Wonderland 2022 skins & cosmetics: What exclusives are available?

Just one new Overwatch 2 skin is up for grabs for free in this year’s Winter Wonderland event. Ice Queen Brigitte can be unlocked by completing six out of eight event challenges before time runs out.

Below is a look at the eight challenges you can pick from along with a preview of the Ice Queen Brigitte Skin.

1. Unthawed

• Win a game in Freezethaw Elimination
  • Reward: 1500 Battle Pass XP

2. Warmhearted

• Thaw 15 allies in Freezethaw Elimination
  • Reward: 1500 Battle Pass XP, Kiriko spray

3. Snowstorm

• Win a game in Snowball Deathmatch
  • Reward: 1500 Battle Pass XP

4. Caught a Cold

• Catch 6 snowballs in Snowball Deathmatch
  • Reward: 1500 Battle Pass XP, Junker Queen spray

5. Monster Hunter

• Win a game in Yeti Hunter as Mei
  • Reward: 1500 Battle Pass XP

6. Abominable

• Win a game in Yeti Hunter as a Yeti
  • Reward: 1500 Battle Pass XP, Ramattra spray

7. Time for Cocoa

• Win a game in Mei’s Snowball Offensive
  • Reward: 1500 Battle Pass XP

8. Block of Ice

• Block 8 snowballs with Cryo-Freeze or Ice Wall in Snowball Deathmatch or Mei’s Snowball Offensive.
  • Reward: 1500 Battle Pass XP, Sojourn spray

Blizzard Entertainment

Winter Wonderland 2022 limited-time game modes

Three distinct arcade modes are available for fans to enjoy in this year’s Winter Wonderland event. Two are returning staples while one is a brand-new addition in Overwatch 2.

First up, Mei’s Snowball Offensive is back as you would expect, though this time around, there’s a key change to keep in mind. Rather than spraying out a stream of frost or charging up for an icicle hit like before, Mei now shoots snowballs for instant knockouts. This mode can be played in either 6v6 style or in a FFA setting.

Next comes Mei’s Yeti Hunt, the 5v1 “raid boss” style mode that pits five heroes against one overpowered Winston. There are no changes to freshen this mode up in 2022.

Last but not least comes a new game mode in Freezethat Elimination, Blizzard’s take on “freeze tag.” Here, your goal is to freeze all opposing players at once. Just by eliminating a hero, they’ll be frozen in place indefinitely. The only way to bring them back into the fight is by having teammates thaw them out.

Winter Wonderland 2022 Twitch drops

No different from previous events in Overwatch 2, certain cosmetics can be earned just by watching Twitch streams during the Winter Wonderland event. Between December 25 and January 4, Twitch streams with drops enabled will provide the following rewards:

• Watch 2 hours: Unlock Festive D.Va Victory Pose.
• Watch 4 hours: Unlock Sleighing D.Va Legendary Skin.

That’s all there is to know about this year’s Winter Wonderland event in Overwatch 2 though we’ll be sure to update you here if any surprises pop up along the way.