How to get free Overwatch 2 skins & rewards during OWL

Andrew Highton
overwatch league logo and overwatch 2

The Overwatch League Playoffs return and Overwatch 2 is now at the front and center of the competition, offering up free Overwatch 2 skins to players who watch the action unfold.

There are various competitive leagues around the world for specific games – most notably Call of Duty’s CDL – and Overwatch 2 is no different with the yearly Overwatch League competition testing the mettle of the world’s most elite players.

The Overwatch League always complements its terrific action by giving loyal viewers a chance to earn free items to use in-game. With Overwatch 2 now out, the new OWL Playoffs are a real chance to earn new items for the latest Blizzard hero shooter.

They’re simple and easy enough to get a hold of and we’ve outlined how with instructions for you to follow.

Overwatch 2 skins free during OWL Playoffs

One of the main things that Overwatch 2 players will need to do to claim free goodies is to link their Battle.net account with their YouTube account.

This is the most critical step first and foremost, so if you don’t have either of these in place, then you’ll need to register accounts with both platforms.

Here’s a complete set of steps to carry out:

  1. Log in to YouTube – or make an account if you don’t have one already.
  2. Find and click on ‘Settings’.
  3. Go to ‘Connected Accounts’.
  4. Highlight and select ‘Battle.net account.’
  5. Click ‘Allow’.
  6. Go to the Overwatch official YouTube channel.
  7. Select the appropriate live video when it’s available and start watching!

Now, enjoy the Overwatch League action and your accounts that are now running in sync will accurately register how much you have watched.

genji holding weapon in overwatch 2

OWL Playoff dates for Overwatch 2

If you’re not 100% sure when the OWL actually starts, then we can inform you that the fierce competition will begin on October 30, 2022, and keep going all the way to November 4, 2022.

This will include everything from the Playoffs to the Grand Finals themselves to decide the ultimate winner.

OWL Playoffs rewards in Overwatch 2

Blizzard have detailed exactly what players can earn during the OWL and how to go about doing it. Icons, emotes, and skins are all available to earn and will require a minimum number of hours watched, as well as League Tokens.

An official Blizzard blog post regarding OWL has detailed the process:

  • Earn 5 League Tokens per hour for every hour watched.
  • Earn 3 Overwatch League home and away skins for every 3 hours watched, up to 30 hours.
  • Additionally, custom community-designed Overwatch 2 cosmetics will be dropped after specific viewership milestones.

With all this in mind, here’s an extensive look at the rewards up for grabs.

Playoffs rewards

HoursSkinsAdditional Drops
3Bastion, Genji, TracerGrand Finals 1 spray
6Hanzo, Mei, MercyZhulong player icon
9Ana, Brigitte, ZenyattaLuchador player icon
12Ashe, D.Va, Wrecking BallRoyal Knight player icon
15Cassidy, Echo, PharahHappi player icon
18Baptiste, Roadhog, SigmaClockwork player icon
21Orisa, Reinhardt, Soldier 76, SombraOWL Turns 5 player icon
24Doomfist, Symmetra, TorbjornLucio Dance Party emote
27Junkrat, Lucio, Moira, ReaperN/A
30Widowmaker, Winston, Zarya100 League Tokens

Grand Finals rewards

HoursSkinsAdditional Drops
0.5N/AGrand Finals 2 spray
1SojournPulse Pistol name card
2Junker Queen, KirikoN/A

That should just about cover everything you need to know about Overwatch 2 and the OWL, and we’ve got even more guides and content for you to check out below:

Are Overwatch 2 servers down? Overwatch server status | Best Overwatch 2 PC settings: How to boost FPS & optimize graphics | Does Overwatch 2 have cross-progression crossplay? Is Overwatch 2 crossplay? | How to transfer Overwatch skins to Overwatch 2: Account merging guide | Is Overwatch 2 free-to-play? | How to play Overwatch 2 on Steam Deck | How to get Golden Guns in Overwatch 2 | How to fix Overwatch 2 different version error

Image Credit: Blizzard

Sign up to Charlie INTEL for free and receive:
Fewer Ads|Dark Mode|Deals in Gaming, TV and Movies, and Tech