Overwatch 2 Celebrates Anniversary with The Return of Beloved Game Modes

As Overwatch 2 prepares to mark its second anniversary, the game is bringing back some of its most beloved game modes, including popular favorites like Mirrorwatch, Prop Hunt, and April Fools. This special month-long event kicks off on September 24, offering players a fresh chance to dive into these limited-time modes from the past year, with a rotating schedule that keeps the excitement going each week.

With Overwatch 2's official anniversary falling on October 4, the game has hosted numerous seasonal events featuring exclusive PvP and PvE game modes since its launch. Now, as part of its anniversary celebration, players can revisit these fan-favorite modes. According to a recent blog post from Blizzard, the event will run from September 24 to mid-October, with a different lineup of game modes featured each week.

Anniversary Event Game Modes and Schedule

Week 1 (September 24-30)

- Beast Hunt

- Community Crafted

Week 2 (October 1-7)

- April Fools 2024

- Cosmic Crisis

Week 3 (October 8-14)

- Mirrorwatch

- Prop Hunt

In Beast Hunt, originally featured as Battle of the Beasts in Season 8, teams must face off against a powerful boss version of Orisa. Community Crafted and April Fools 2024 showcase heroes with altered abilities—Community Crafted featuring changes from Overwatch 2 content creators, while April Fools takes its inspiration from the developers' joke patch notes. Cosmic Crisis, a thrilling PvE mission from Season 9, challenges players to escape from an eldritch threat, and Prop Hunt returns with its fun hide-and-seek mechanics, first introduced in Season 5. Lastly, Mirrorwatch from Season 10 brings a unique twist by pitting alternate universe versions of iconic Overwatch heroes against each other, complete with reimagined abilities and kits.

What Rewards Are Up for Grabs?

Blizzard has hinted at rewards players can earn throughout the event, although the full details haven't been revealed yet. If last year's event is anything to go by, fans can expect to unlock cosmetics, Battle Pass experience, and potentially even Overwatch Credits by completing special in-game tasks and enjoying the returning game modes. There's no word yet on whether the Anniversary Store will be back, but it's worth holding onto your Overwatch Credits just in case.

Additionally, players can still take part in the Overwatch 2 x World of Warcraft crossover event, which runs through the end of the month. This event offers exclusive rewards, such as sprays, name cards, titles, and extra experience, for completing in-game challenges. With Season 13 slated to launch on October 15, this might either wrap up the anniversary event or coincide with its final week. Either way, Overwatch 2 fans have plenty to look forward to over the next month.