Mega-popular video game Overwatch gets a Lunar New Year makeover
Chinese-themed character costumes and new ‘Capture the Rooster’ game mode feature in latest update in the lead-up to the next fan-anticipated tweaking in time for Valentine’s Day
PUBLISHED : Wednesday, 25 January, 2017, 2:29pm
UPDATED : Wednesday, 25 January, 2017, 2:29pm
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The Year of the Rooster is being celebrated in an update to Overwatch, the massively popular online video game.
The Lunar New Year update adds Chinese-themed costumes for many of the game’s characters, as well as a new game mode titled Capture the Rooster, a spin on the classic game mode capture the flag.
Overwatch is arguably the world’s biggest video game released in the past 12 months. It was named the game of the year by top gaming portals including GameSpot and Eurogamer, and was named the No 1 title at the 2016 Game Awards.
Several of the new costumes are based on characters from the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West.
The Lunar New Year update follows other seasonal events added for Halloween and Christmas last year. The next update is expected to be based on Valentine’s Day next month.
Overwatch has won widespread praise for the diversity of its characters. As well as a number of Asian characters – including the Chinese hero Mei, who hails from Harbin in northeast China – its roster also includes LGBT heroes.
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