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Report: Blizzard to Celebrate Overwatch Anniversary with GOTY Edition, Event

The package is said to contain loot boxes and skins, plus pets and playable characters for assorted Blizzard titles.

David Craddock

May 11, 2017 2:00 PM

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Overwatch turns one later this month, and fan site True Achievements might have spoiled Blizzard's surprise party. True Achievements scanned Xbox Live Marketplace and found information pointing to a Game of the Year edition of Overwatch plus anniversary loot boxes (via Game Informer).

Further digging revealed an Xbox Live store page for the GOTY package. According to True Achievements, the special edition will include 10 loot boxes, origin skins for five of the heroes, a Tracer hero for Heroes of the Storm, and a baby Winston pet for World of WarCraft, in addition to other goodies.

Per descriptions found during the scan, the anniversary loot boxes will contain some combination of over 100 new doodads. If you don't receive a particular new item in one of your 10 loot boxes, you'll be able to buy them or earn them in-game.

Although Blizzard hasn't confirmed any particulars for how it will ring in Overwatch's one-year milestone, a fan on Twitter inquired after an anniversary event only for a Blizzard rep to reply "No timing details yet." That's not a yes, nor is it a no. It works out to more of a, "Obviously we're doing something to celebrate our game selling like hotcakes at a hotcake convention. We just can't tell you what we've got planned yet, but it may or may not involve a smash cake."

Earlier this month, Activision Blizzard announced that Overwatch has over 30 million registered users and has raked in over $1 billion—all that, and the game hasn't even officially been out a full year yet.

Overwatch was released on May 24 last year. Shacknews editor-in-chief Steve Watts gave the game a 9 out of 10, praising its memorable characters, vibrant settings, and team-oriented gameplay. "Overwatch is a collection of firsts, but it carries itself with the confidence and proficiency of a veteran," he wrote. "It has plenty of room to grow and expand, but as our first step into this world, it's inviting, competitive, smartly designed, beautiful to look at, and fun to play. You can't ask for much more than that."

David Craddock

Long Reads Editor

David L. Craddock writes fiction, nonfiction, and grocery lists. He is the author of the Stay Awhile and Listen series, and the Gairden Chronicles series of fantasy novels for young adults. Outside of writing, he enjoys playing Mario, Zelda, and Dark Souls games, and will be happy to discuss at length the myriad reasons why Dark Souls 2 is the best in the series. Follow him online at davidlcraddock.com and @davidlcraddock.