New Mardi Gras Overwatch event possibly leaked on Twitch

Olivia Richman Published 23/02/2020

It looks like Overwatch might be getting a new seasonal event.

A Twitter user using the handle La Nimi recently claimed that their friend had received two Mardi Gras Ashe bundles through Twitch. One was from watching Overwatch for four hours, the other for watching six hours.

After receiving the bundles, La Nimi took to Twitter to ask if anyone else had received a Mardi Gras-themed bundle. She then shared screenshots of two images, with one featuring Zenyatta with a green and gold jester outfit covered in beads and the other with McCree wearing a crown and cape. They were originally tweeted by a trusted Overwatch leaker, Naeri, who posted another image that showed Wrecking Ball as a parade float.

The possible event leak has not revealed what the content of the drops are and no information has been revealed about the event itself. The images themselves have the appearance of sprays, but the fact that they are labeled as “bundles” could mean that there are skins.

Despite the screenshots, some Overwatch fans came forward with concerns. One person noted that holiday begins on February 25, which is quite soon. From there, it only lasts seven days. Usually, Overwatch schedules their events to start a few weeks before a holiday or event, so this wouldn’t leave much time if going by the developer’s normal event pattern.

As others started asking for proof, La Nimi came forward with even more evidence.

“We’ve got no reason to lie or fake this. That seems like an insane waste of time,” they said, attaching a video of their friend receiving the notification about the Mardi Gras rewards.

It’s possible that Ashe is one of the main focuses of the event, which is a little strange since she is from Arizona. No Overwatch characters are from New Orleans, which hosts one of the largest Mardi Gras celebrations, but Brazil’s lavish Carnival makes Lucio the most logical fit to headline the event.

While it’s unclear if the Mardi Gras event is actually coming to Overwatch, it would be a welcome addition to their holiday lineup. Recently, fans have been dissatisfied with Blizzard’s annual recycling of seasonal events.

Their Winter Wonderland event at the start of the year brought no new content outside of skins. The Lunar New Year event was even more underwhelming, with Junkrat not even receiving a legendary skin despite it being the “Year of the Rat.” There were also no arcade modes or playable content to make the event exciting to the Overwatch community.

While the production of Overwatch 2 has slowed expansions to the original title, there’s still hope that a Mardi Gras event could spice things up, even if there isn’t an accompanying game mode.

With Mardi Gras 2020 falling on February 25, expect the rumors to be confirmed or denied in the coming days.

Olivia Richman

About Olivia Richman

Olivia has worked in media ever since graduating from college, with her coverage ranging from traditional newspaper reporting to digital coverage of all things gaming, online betting, and nerd culture. She has traveled around the world pursuing that coverage, from the far coasts of the United States to the busy downtown core of Tokyo, Japan. Olivia’s favorite games include Overwatch and Super Smash Smash Bros, and she has been published at Esports Illustrated, Inven Global, EsportsInsider, Upcomer, and elsewhere.

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