The meta may be changing. ]]>
With the Overwatch Lunar New Year update, Year of the Pig, Blizzard’s added some balance changes that players who are sick of the GOATS meta will be happy to see. The update, which has been on the Overwatch test server since early January, nerfs D.Va and Brigitte, while buffing Reaper.
These hero nerfs come alongside an overall change to damage reduction to armor, which has been reduced from five to three. “Armor was a bit too strong overall, especially when being healed quickly and often,” Blizzard wrote in the patch notes. “This change will help more heroes fight against higher armored enemies.”
The event begins Jan. 24.]]>
Lü Bü Reaper 
Huang Zhong Hanzo 
Guan Yu Reinhardt 
Zhang Fei Torbjörn 
Zhuge Liang Zenyatta 
Hong GilDong Tracer 
Sanye Orisa 
General Brigitte
Overwatch’s Lunar New Year event, Year of the Pig, will introduce a bunch of new skins to the game. Blizzard is showing off the skins in the lead-up to the event, which starts on Jan. 24 and continues through Feb. 18.
Over the past week, Blizzard’s been revealing a bunch of skins. Most of them have been inspired by historical Chinese military figures, and the others reference Korean culture. Eight have been revealed ahead of the event’s launch.
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The event will run until Feb. 18.]]>Overwatch’s Year of the Pig event, celebrating the Lunar New Year, has begun. The seasonal event, which is in its third year, will continue until Feb. 18—through the kick-off of the actual Chinese New Year, which begins on Feb. 5.
The event’s main draw is the new skins, many of which were revealed over the past week on Blizzard’s social media accounts. Skins from prior years have returned for the duration of the event, too. They’ll be available to unlock for discounted prices, just like with other Overwatch events. Capture the Flag has made its return, too. The fan-favorite mode originated with Overwatch’s first Lunar New Year event, but became a regular feature. Last year, Blizzard introduced a new map to play the mode on, called Ayutthaya—and this year, it’s reworked Busan to be Capture the Flag-friendly.
PUBG Corp. said it’ll help lower the barrier to entry for new players and teams.]]>PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds developer PUBG Corp. will support its burgeoning esports scene with a profit-sharing program for team and league-branded digital items. The developer will give 25 percent of all National PUBG League and PUBG European League item sales to each of the participating teams.
PUBG Corp. said it’s a way to directly support teams by offsetting operating costs, “lowering the barrier to entry” to new teams and players.
Events DC sponsored San Francisco Shock’s Overwatch Contenders team in 2018.]]>Overwatch League expansion team Washington Justice has added D.C. convention and sports authority Events DC as its first 2019 season sponsor.
Washington Justice players will wear an Events DC patch on their jerseys. The partnership will also help create a connection to Washington, D.C., the team’s home city. (The Overwatch League is based in Los Angeles for the 2019 season, but is expected to switch to a city-based structure in the future.)
The Lunar New Year event begins Jan. 24.]]>Last night, Blizzard revealed its newest Year of the Pig skin, Zhuge Liang Zenyatta. But shortly after, the Korean Overwatch team had a surprise—three more skins, one each for Orisa, Tracer, and Brigitte. The Zenyatta skin is part of the historical Chinese series of skins Blizzard has been revealing over the past week, but the others are inspired by Korea.
“Experience festivity,” Blizzard tweeted from the Overwatch account. “Embrace Year of the Pig with Zhuge Liang Zenyatta.”
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Zhang “YangXiaoLong” Zhihao has not arrived in Los Angeles with the rest of the Chinese team.]]>Chengdu Hunters’ Chinese DPS player Zhang “YangXiaoLong” Zhihao is facing visa trouble heading into the Overwatch League’s 2019 season. The team reported that YangXiaoLong’s visa application was denied. The player is now working with an immigration lawyer to resolve the issue, according to a translation of the team’s message.
Many of Chengdu Hunters’ players have already arrived in Los Angeles ahead of the 2019 season, which begins on Feb. 14.
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Overwatch’s Lunar New Year event begins Jan. 24.]]>Overwatch’s Lunar New Year skin reveals continue today with Torbjörn. Blizzard tweeted out the Year of the Pig skin ahead of the event, which begins on Jan 24.
“Let’s hear those guns,” Blizzard tweeted on Monday. “Protect the flag with your trust turret at Zhang Fei Torbjörn.”
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Four keychains are coming, too.]]>Funko is releasing seven new Overwatch Pop! Figures, including two six-inch toys for Wrecking Ball and Bastion. The other heroes getting the Funko Pop! treatment are Pharah, Reaper, Brigitte, Moira, and D.Va.
D.Va already has a Funko Pop! Toy, which features her mech unit. The new one is the traditional size, without the MEKA. Wrecking Ball’s six-inch Pop! toy is similar to D.Va’s mech variation, as it includes the whole unit with the teeny hamster bursting out the top. Funko shared images of the new products during the London Toy Fair, but did not say when the figures will be available—just that they’re coming soon.
The trophy may have been broken before it was lifted, however.]]>Newly crowned Overwatch Contenders Korea champions RunAway continued esports’ legacy of awkward celebrations by breaking their trophy the moment they lifted it.
After an undefeated tournament run, RunAway met Element Mystic in the Overwatch Contenders Korea grand finals over the weekend. With six new players after the original roster was picked up by the Overwatch League’s Vancouver Titans, RunAway beat all odds—not one analyst on the event’s desk predicted this outcome. It’s the organization’s second consecutive win, too. (The organization won in 2018’s second season under a different roster.) RunAway is a team that’s without the backing of a larger company, like others in the event.
