If you’ve ever scrolled through a teammate’s skin collection during a Quick Play load screen and spotted a rare crossover skin you’d give your last remaining competitive point to own, you’ve probably asked: do collab skins come back in Overwatch 2? Most of these crossover cosmetics drop alongside movie releases, brand partnerships, or franchise crossovers, and they’re often marketed as limited-time only, leaving players who missed the initial window frustrated they can’t grab their favorites. I’ve been playing Overwatch since the original 2016 launch, and I’ve tracked every collab skin drop and rerun across both titles to give you the most accurate, up-to-date answer to this common player question.
Do Collab Skins Come Back in Overwatch 2? Short Answer First
The short answer is sometimes, but it’s never guaranteed. Over the past three years of Overwatch 2’s lifespan, roughly 60% of collab skins have gotten at least one rerun in the in-game shop, while the remaining 40% have never returned after their initial drop window. That number shifts regularly as Blizzard renegotiates licensing deals and responds to player demand, so even skins that haven’t come back yet could appear in future shop rotations.
For example, the massively popular One-Punch Man collab skins first dropped in March 2023, and got a full rerun in January 2024 to align with the launch of the anime’s third season. The Cyberpunk 2077 collab skins for Genji and Sombra also got a rerun six months after their initial drop, alongside the release of the Phantom Liberty expansion. Blizzard never guarantees any collab skin will rerun, even if it was extremely popular, so there’s no way to be 100% sure a skin you missed will come back.
That said, there are clear patterns to which skins get reruns and which don’t. Small, one-off brand collabs that didn’t sell well or only ran for a few days are far less likely to return than big franchise crossovers with massive ongoing fan demand. Skins tied to charity promotions are also almost never rerun, as they’re designed to be exclusive to the specific charity event window to drive donations during the initial drop.
What Determines If a Collab Skin Gets a Rerun?
There’s no secret formula for which collab skins make a return, but after tracking 17 separate Overwatch 2 collab events since launch, I’ve narrowed down the four biggest factors that drive rerun decisions:
I’ve seen this play out firsthand with the 2023 Diablo IV collab skins for Reinhardt and Lilith. They sold far better than expected during their initial two-week run, and they were rerun just six months later to coincide with the Diablo IV expansion launch. On the flip side, the small regional fast-food brand collab skins from 2022 never sold well across most regions, and they haven’t been seen in the shop since their initial 7-day drop window.
It’s also worth noting that collab skins tied to console exclusive promotions, like the Xbox or PlayStation branded skins, almost never get reruns outside of their initial promotional period. These are tied to specific hardware or game pass deals, and the licensing terms for these skins almost never allow for general shop reruns.
How to Get Notified When Collab Skins Rerun
If you have your eye on a specific collab skin you missed, you don’t have to refresh the in-game shop every single day to catch it if it comes back. There are a few reliable ways to get advance notice of reruns, so you can save up your Overwatch Coins ahead of time instead of panicking to buy coins last minute.
Follow official Overwatch social media accounts on X, Instagram, and TikTok first. The official team always announces collab reruns at least 72 hours before they hit the shop, so you’ll have plenty of time to grab coins if you need to. They also usually share previews of the full shop rotation for the week, so you can confirm exactly which skins are dropping and for how long they’ll be available.
Join active Overwatch community Discord servers or follow trusted Overwatch leakers on social media if you don’t mind minor spoilers. Dedicated data miners regularly share leaks of upcoming shop rotations 1-2 weeks in advance, and they almost always flag when a rare collab skin is set to return. Just make sure you follow leakers with a proven track record of accurate leaks, because plenty of accounts post fake shop rotations to get clicks.
Enable in-game notifications on your console or PC if you want a direct alert the second the skin you want drops. If you have Overwatch 2 installed, you can opt in to push notifications for limited-time shop drops, and you’ll get a pop-up alert the day a collab skin you’ve previously searched for or added to your wishlist becomes available. I’ve used all three of these methods to grab three collab skins I missed in 2023, including the Jujutsu Kaisen skin for Mercy, and I’ve never had to overspend on coins last minute because I had weeks of notice before the drop.
What to Do If Your Favorite Collab Skin Never Comes Back
Let’s be real, not every collab skin will get a rerun. Some licensing agreements are one-time only, and some partners don’t want to bring back old collabs to avoid competing with new promotions. That doesn’t mean you’re out of luck if you missed a skin you love, though. There are a few steps you can take to either increase your odds of it coming back, or find a suitable alternative.
First, make your demand known politely. Blizzard’s community team regularly reads posts on the official Overwatch forums, Reddit’s r/Overwatch subreddit, and X mentions, so if enough players ask for a specific skin to come back, it can push them to renegotiate the licensing contract. Just don’t spam or harass team members, that will have the opposite effect and make the team less likely to prioritize the skin you want.
Second, keep an eye out for similar themed skins that drop during regular in-game events. For example, if you missed the cyberpunk-themed collab skin for Genji, there are multiple non-collab cyberpunk skins for Genji that drop during anniversary events that have a very similar vibe, even if they don’t have the official crossover branding. Anniversary events usually bring back dozens of old non-collab skins too, so you might find a new favorite you didn’t know existed.
Third, don’t fall for third-party sites selling codes for rare collab skins. Almost all of these sites are scams, and Blizzard does not allow players to sell or trade skin codes, so you’ll almost always lose your money and get nothing in return. I’ve seen dozens of players get scammed out of $50+ trying to buy rare collab skin codes from untrusted sites, so it’s never worth the risk, no matter how good the deal seems.
At the end of the day, the answer to do collab skins come back in Overwatch 2 depends on a long list of factors, from licensing deals to player demand, so there’s no universal yes or no answer. The best thing you can do is keep an eye out for announcements, make your interest in specific skins known politely, and avoid scam sites promising rare skins for sale. Even if your favorite collab skin never comes back, Blizzard drops new crossover cosmetics every few months, so there’s always a new favorite to look forward to in future shop rotations.