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‘Overwatch’ Summer Games event celebrates the Rio Olympics with new skins and a soccer minigame

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The Rio Olympics will get underway August 5, and one of the biggest video games of 2016 is set to celebrate the sporting event with new content. Blizzard announced the first seasonal event for Overwatch, the “Summer Games” collection, with Rio Olympics themed skins, a new map, and  a new Rocket League-esque game mode called Lúcioball to celebrate the 2016 Games.

For the first three weeks of August, all loot boxes with special skins, emotes intros, and sprays with the Overwatch cast in athletic attire daubed with color schemes reflecting each character’s nationality, according to a post on the Overwatch blog. Zarya, for example, is decked out in weightlifting gear, Lucio is dressed for soccer, and Tracer appears to be ready for a track and field event. A poster included in the package is packed with more Overwatch characters clothed in activewear — Soldier: 76 in golf attire being a particular highlight.

Overwatch’s own olympic event, Lúcioball, is a three-on-three soccer match “futuristic spin on soccer” with a giant ball. Instead of rocket-powered cars, every player uses as a special version of Lucio with modified control meant for soccer: Instead of his sonic amplifier weapon, Lucio uses a melee attack to push the ball, and his speed and health enhancing abilities only helps the individual player, rather than the group. Rather than generating a shield, works as a steal, Lucio’s ultimate move pulls the ball your way, allowing players to steal the ball. A new map made especially for Lúcioball, the Rio-based soccer stadium Estádio das Rãs, features jump- and speed-boosting pads to keep you moving.

The Overwatch team teased the announcement earlier this week with care packages sent to notable Overwatch streamers, which prompted photos and videos of new skins for Zarya, Lucio, and Tracer, as well as the new level, according to a report from Polygon.

Every loot box will contain at least one seasonal unlockable, but what you get is entirely up to the luck of the draw, as you will not be able to purchase Summer Games content with in-game currency. When the event ends on August 22, all of the content will “be heading back into the vault,” according to Blizzard.

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The Winter Olympics gets a new video game … featuring NFTs
Olympic NFT game key art shows athletes participating in various sports.

Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid developer nWay and the International Olympic Committee have teamed up to announce Olympic Games Jam: Beijing 2022. This free-to-play mobile game launches today, but before you get too excited, know that this competitive multiplayer game is based around NFTs that give players an in-game advantage and have proven to be controversial recently.
Olympic Games Jam: Beijing 2022 features several sports minigames based on Olympic events like Snowboard Cross, Ski Cross, Skeleton, Slopestyle, and Slalom. Players can make customizable avatars and compete against other players in a series of randomized events, getting a gold medal if they are the last one standing. The developer even plans on constantly updating the game with new sports, events, and modes.
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Before the game's release, nWay sold Olympic NFT digital pins on its nWayPlay marketplace. Players can earn and then sell these pins by playing Olympic Games Jam: Beijing 2022. In-game, these NFT digital pins will give players access to better rewards and even extend power-ups that make the player go faster, control better, and resist hazards.
Those who spend the most money on pins will theoretically do the best in the minigames. This all makes Olympic Games Jam: Beijing 2022 seem like a pay-to-win game, which would be antithetical to the friendly and respectful competition that the Olympic Games represent. It also shows how challenging it could be for game developers to incorporate NFTs without hurting the experience of those who don't want to use them.
Olympic Games Jam: Beijing 2022 launches today for iOS and Android. 

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This feature was previously shown during one of Blizzard's Overwatch 2 streams but has been further detailed in a news post on the game's website.

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Something worth remembering when shopping for skins is that almost every skin will be available during the Archives event. If you see a skin that you want but can't seem to buy right now or we're past the event, simply save up your coins for late March/early April to either purchase it or pray to get it in a loot box. The Archives event changes year to year, so be sure to keep an eye on when it happens next!

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