Summer Games and new hero discussed in new Overwatch developer update

Fariha Bhatti Published 11/07/2019

Blizzard has confirmed the next set of upcoming events in its latest developer update. 

Overwatch game director Jeff Kaplan confirmed today on YouTube that the Summer Games will be the next seasonal event to take place and added some further details as to what players can expect from the event. 

One of the first items Kaplan addressed in the video was the update in the schedule for the summer event. In previous years, the Summer Games have always started during the second week of August. According to Jeff, the games will instead be happening much sooner than usual. He did not confirm a specific start date, but with only four weeks until the usual timeslot, an announcement is expected soon.

Further details were also announced with regards to the new Summer Games content. The development team has planned a new way to distribute event skins for this seasonal event and intend to offer three epic skins as a reward rather than a luck-based drop.

Much like the “Baptiste Reunion Challenge” or the “D.Va Nano-Cola Challenge,” each week of Summer Games 2019 will host a challenge with an epic event skin available to unlock upon completion.

In a similar fashion to the event schedule changes, Overwatch players can also expect an update in the hero release schedule over the summer. Fans of the game have wondering when the next hero, which would be the 31st in the game, will be announced. Wrecking Ball, the hero released in the summer of 2018, was brought to live servers in July after three weeks on the PTR. This year however, Kaplan has confirmed that fans will have to wait even longer for a new hero to appear. 

The game director did not specify why the schedule has changed for the hero, but did assure viewers that it would be “worth the wait.” Kaplan also included a small clue for those eager to know who the next character in the Overwatch lineup might be and confirmed that the character will be male. 

With the next seasonal event due to start soon, fans can expect another developer update in the not too distant future. During the video, Jeff even confirmed that he’d kept the length shorter than usual as more updates are planned for just around the corner. 

Fariha Bhatti

About Fariha Bhatti

Fariha Bhatti is a long-time gaming writer who loves competitive FPS games and slots with particularly fun themes. She got her start playing classic games developed by SNK, from legendary fighting game series The King of Fighters to challenging platform franchise Metal Slug. She now spends most of her time playing Valorant and Counter-Strike 2 while working her way through new slot releases to find her next favorite. Fariha has been published at PCGamesN, TalkEsport and ONE Esports.

View full profile

Read Also

League of Legends

Riot Games eyes Polymarket and Kalshi for esports sponsorships Michael Hassall Riot Games, the creator of League of Legends and VALORANT is reportedly exploring the protentional of sponsorship deals with prediction market operators including Polymarket and Kalshi, as per reports emerging late last night (Sep. 10). First reported by Cecilia D’Anastasio of Bloomberg, Riot has started conversations with the two top prediction market operators, Kalshi and Polymarket, with a view to one or both of them becoming sponsors within Riot Games’ ...

Slots

This Is How Gates of Olympus 2500 Builds On The Iconic Series Ian John Since the first Gates of Olympus slot hit casinos in 2021, the series has evolved into one of the most recognisable in the Pragmatic Play stable. The combination of scatter wins, tumbling symbols and dramatic multipliers has established a formula that has been followed in a number of sequels and spin-offs. The latest in that series is the Gates of Olympus 2500 slot, but this game takes a slightly more ...

Dota 2

ESIC hand down ruling in EWC Dota match-fixing case: Lifetime ban for coach as DarkMago gets a nickel Michael Hassall South American Dota 2 player Gonzalo "DarkMago" Herrera will be banned for five years from competitive Dota 2, with his coach Juan "Vintage" Angulo banned permanently, following the results of an The Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC) investigation. ESIC handed down the findings and rulings from its investigation into match-fixing allegations leveled at members of South American Dota 2 team PlayTime during the Esports World Cup on Sep. 10, in a ...

News

Rams vs 49ers Preview — Who Will Win? Zachary Roberts The Los Angeles Rams open the season as Super Bowl favorites. Their first test? The division rival San Francisco 49ers. This game obviously has huge implications in what was the strongest division in football last year, sending three teams with 12 wins to the playoffs and hosting both NFC finalists. So, who's going to win? The Rams and 49ers face off tonight in the second game of the NFL season. ...

Twitch

iShowSpeed Livestreams Apple Keynote and Meets New CEO John Ternus Khizar Mundia Darren “iShowSpeed” Watkins Jr. became one of the first non-tech streamers to livestream an Apple event, appearing alongside the company's CEO at the keynote despite initial speculation from fans that he was using a green screen instead of physically being there. Speed has consistently blurred the lines between a streamer and mainstream celebrity in 2026. He collaborated with FIFA on a game and then performed at the World Cup closing ...

Slots

Juice, New B2B iGaming Provider Backed by Stake, Launches at Casinos Ben Boland A new B2B iGaming provider has just been launched globally, with Juice going live on September 9. Juice comprises five studios well-known for producing a range of original games for Stake.com. It is releasing a range of over 100 games that can be used by operators all over the world. The five studios behind the new brand comprises Twist Gaming, Knucklehead Syndicate, Monstrums, Massive Studios and The Originals. The entire ...

News

It Looks Like the PlayStation 6 Is Not Coming Out Anytime Soon Zachary Roberts The PlayStation 6, much like the Project Helix Xbox, is under development. This much we know, but exactly when the new generation of consoles will arrive is anyone's guess. We know precious few details about the PlayStation 6, including its release date. Kalshi traders, though, have made their opinion known on when the next Sony console will hit the market. Will the PlayStation 6 come out this year? Almost certainly ...