How to get free Hero skins by watching Overwatch Contenders?

Overwatch Contenders Run It Back Tournament skins (Image via Blizzard Entertainment)
Overwatch Contenders Run It Back Tournament skins (Image via Blizzard Entertainment)

The Overwatch Contenders Run It Back Tournament 2022 is finally underway, bringing fans the opportunity to catch their favorite teams live as they battle it out to make it to the Overwatch League. The event takes place in five regions - North America, Europe, Korea, China, and Australia.

The much-awaited tournament is already live in Korea and will run until December 3. While the event is yet to kick off in other regions, fans can now earn amazing Overwatch Contenders Hero skins by simply catching the Korean teams competing in the tournament.

This article takes a look at the process of getting free Hero skins during Overwatch Contenders.


Everything fans need to know about collecting Overwatch Contenders Hero skins in 2022

Contenders is an official competitive esports event for Overwatch 2 players, which gives up-and-coming talent a platform to display their best performances. These players then go on to perform on the big stage in the OWL. The event began on November 7 (Korea) and will run until December 16 (North America and Europe). But there's more for the fans.

Players can earn up to two sets (Home and Away) of Contenders skins. This time around, D.Va and Soldier 76 got the privilege of wearing the event's uniform. These cosmetics match the theme of the tournament, which is green with white/black.

Once earned, players can drop into a match equipped with these skins.


How to get the free Contenders Hero skins?

Overwatch 2 players will be able to earn free Hero skins by watching the Contenders 2022 Run It Back Tournament live. To receive such free drops, users will need to do the following:

  • Connect your Battle.net account to YouTube.
  • Watch Overwatch Contenders using the same account on YouTube.

Note: This method won't work with brand accounts. It only allows the linking of personal accounts.

After accomplishing the above two steps, all fans are eligible to receive free in-game items. However, it is essential to note here that these Hero skins must be redeemed by December 31, 2022.


When and where to watch

OW Contenders Run It Back Tournament dates 2022 (Image via Blizzard Entertainment)
OW Contenders Run It Back Tournament dates 2022 (Image via Blizzard Entertainment)

All matches will be live-streamed on the official Overwatch Contenders channel on YouTube Gaming. The following is the live schedule for the Korean region (November 7 to December 3):

  • 11-07-2022 Run It Back | Round Robin Day 1 at 17:00 PM KST
  • 11-08-2022 Run It Back | Round Robin Day 2 at 17:00 PM KST
  • 11-09-2022 Run It Back | Round Robin Day 3 at 17:00 PM KST
  • 11-14-2022 Run It Back | Round Robin Day 4 at 17:00 PM KST
  • 11-15-2022 Run It Back | Round Robin Day 5 at 17:00 PM KST
  • 11-16-2022 Run It Back | Round Robin Day 6 at 17:00 PM KST
  • 11-21-2022 Run It Back | Round Robin Day 7 at 17:00 PM KST
  • 11-22-2022 Run It Back | Round Robin Day 8 at 17:00 PM KST
  • 11-23-2022 Run It Back | Round Robin Day 9 at 17:00 PM KST
  • 11-28-2022 Run It Back | Playoffs Day 1 at 19:00 PM KST
  • 11-29-2022 Run It Back | Playoffs Day 2 at 19:00 PM KST
  • 12-03-2022 Run It Back | Finals at 19:00 PM KST

Fans can check out the full schedule for different regions here: https://overwatchleague.com/en-us/contenders/schedule


This is all there is to know about acquiring the Contenders Hero skins for the game. The excitement surrounding the event has been magnified with the announcement of free skins for all the fans.

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Overwatch 2 is a free-to-play title that is available for download on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X, and Nintendo Switch.

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