'Overwatch': Lúcioball, Summer Games Seasonal Content Revealed By Blizzard

Official details on the Overwatch Summer Games content teased on Monday night are now online, courtesy of a new post on the US PlayStation Blog. Some will be disappointed to hear rumors of a new map weren’t exactly true -- at least, in so much a new environment isn’t being added to the traditional map rotation -- but Overwatch players wanting more variety from the multiplayer shooter might be excited by today’s Lúcioball reveal.

On Tuesday, Twitch streamer Laced Up Lauren set off a new wave of speculation in the Overwatch community after unboxing a promotional crate she’d received from Blizzard. Inside, Lauren found a variety of new cosmetic items, inspired by the upcoming Olympic Games, all gathered under the Summer Games banner. There were teasers for new sprays, skins, highlight intros and emotes, all of which remain in high demand among diehard Overwatch fans.

Fortunately, we only had to wait 24 hours for specific information on the next wave of cosmetic items coming to Overwatch. For starters, the Summer Games collection will introduce more than100 new items to the game’s growing assortment, with one guaranteed each time you open a Loot Box between now and Aug 22. In addition to the new cosmetic gear, Blizzard is introducing the first seasonal match type, Lúcioball, which will presumably be around until late August.

(Sort of) Following in Rocket League's footsteps, Lúcioball sees teams of three compete in a variant of soccer that casts everyone as Overwatch’s resident roller-blading DJ. Players will compete on a special map, in Rio de Janeiro, and must use all of Lúcio’s abilities to score goals on the opposing squad. The announcement didn’t mention how long matches will run.

“Understanding how Lúcio’s abilities affect the ball is the key to mastering Lúcioball,” Overwatch assistant game director Aaron Keller explained . “For this brawl, his primary fire has been replaced with a melee attack, allowing Lúcio to punch the ball — perfect for dribbling, passing, and shooting from short range. When you need to launch the ball across the map, Lúcio’s secondary attack emits a blast of sound that gets the job done nicely.”

For a closer look at the new Summer Games content, take a couple minutes to check out the latest Overwatch trailer from Blizzard. Then head down to the comments section and let us know what you think of the game’s first seasonal event.

Be sure to check back with iDigitalTimes.com and follow Scott on Twitter for more Overwatch news throughout 2016 and however long Blizzard supports Overwatch in the years to come.