We're getting even more free lootboxes and a double XP weekend in Overwatch just for playing the game

We’re getting even more free lootboxes and a double XP weekend in Overwatch just for playing the game | PC Gamer Skip to main content Open menu Close main menu PC Gamer THE GLOBAL AUTHORITY ON PC GAMES US Edition UK US Canada Australia Subscribe Sign in View Profile Sign out Search Search PC Gamer Games Hardware News Reviews Guides Video Forum More PC Gaming Show PC Gamer Clips Software Codes Coupons Movies & TV Magazine Newsletter Affiliate links Meet the team Community guidelines About PC Gamer PC Gamer Magazine SubscriptionWhy subscribe?Subscribe to the world’s #1 PC gaming magTry a single issue or save on a subscriptionIssues delivered straight to your door or device From$1Subscribe now Don’t miss these RPG The best parts of my favorite World of Warcraft classes are being turned into new heroes for Fellowship’s pre-season 2 update this week FPS Overwatch tier list for Season 1 Conquest RPG Thanks to Diablo 2, Blizzard might’ve found a way to fix Diablo 4’s loot fatigue in its next expansion RPG Diablo 2 gets its first expansion in 25 years, featuring a new class, and finally, decent inventory management FPS How to unlock Crimson Wolf in Overwatch Games Celebrate Lunar New Year with these Xbox Game Pass options Action Blizzard says it’s open to even more Diablo 2 expansions and reworks unless people get really mad at it about this one: ‘We’re going to have to see what the players say’ FPS The Overwatch dating sim and its associated rewards are back for a limited time, but it’s still got far fewer romances than its China-exclusive counterpart FPS Overwatch players are being completely normal about Jetpack Cat and all her hideous combos: ‘I hate this cat with a passion’ FPS The best FPS games on PC FPS Overwatch just hit its all-time player count peak on Steam, clocking in over 165,000 players, more than two years after it first released on the platform FPS Emre’s kit in Overwatch is the best of the new bunch, not just because it reminds me of Halo’s battle rifle, but because it’s just so simple Third Person Shooter Marvel Rivals’ latest balance update continues to fan the flames of a broken meta: ‘Today’s patch notes have made me lose all hope’ FPS After a glitch botched Overwatch’s first big post-reboot event, it’s sending out the rewards—including 14 lootboxes—out to players anyway FPS Borderlands 4 weekly update and latest patch notes PopularNEW: PC Gamer Clips!Arc RaidersBest PC gearFalloutGame Quizzes Games FPS Overwatch We’re getting even more free lootboxes and a double XP weekend in Overwatch just for playing the game News By Rory Norris published 20 February 2026 Season 1’s a hit, I’d say. 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From first-look trailers, interviews, reviews and explainers, we’ve got you covered. Signup + Once a month SFX Get sneak previews, exclusive competitions and details of special events each month! Signup + An account already exists for this email address, please log in. Subscribe to our newsletter Overwatch’s big Season 1 reimagining, dropping the infamous ‘2’ in its name, adding five new heroes, reworking maps, and overhauling its UI, has given it a new lease on life. So much so that it broke its all-time player count on Steam, a trend which no doubt rippled across other platforms, and it’s still holding strong. This glow-up has been a long time in the making, but it’s great to see Overwatch back on the map.To celebrate the occasion, Blizzard has announced “a token of appreciation for keeping the matches rolling”, that being double match XP and five free lootboxes all weekend—Friday, 20 February, until Monday, 23 February, to be exact, starting and ending at the reset time in your region, such as 11 am PT / 2 pm ET / 7 pm GMT.Guess our weekend plans are officially booked now 🤩As a token of appreciation for keeping the matches rolling, enjoy double XP all weekend long plus 5 bonus Loot Boxes from Feb 20 @ 11am PT to Feb 23 🎁 pic.twitter.com/LTsh71UVknFebruary 20, 2026Sitting pretty next to the 14 compensation lootboxes for Overwatch’s progression fumble last week, you’ve got a healthy stockpile for barely lifting your finger. There are also various events going on right now that also dole out lootboxes, such as Conquest and Year of the Horse (Lunar New Year). I’d say that’s pretty good going, though I’ll change my tune if I don’t get anything I want in them, of course. Related articles After a glitch botched Overwatch’s first big post-reboot event, it’s sending out the rewards—including 14 lootboxes—out to players anyway Overwatch just hit its all-time player count peak on Steam, clocking in over 165,000 players, more than two years after it first released on the platform Overwatch 2 drops the 2 and goes back to being Overwatch as Blizzard launches its biggest update ever next week: ‘We want to gain players’ confidence, we want them to have trust in the game’ The double match XP (this means it sadly doesn’t boost challenges) is perfect for blitzing through your battle pass tiers, especially as it stacks with other bonuses you migh