Overwatch has two free reward tracks running right now, both from November 3 to December 7: the Excavation Initiative, which hands out free Loot Boxes for playing each week, and the Taking Reign event, whose Free Pass ends in a new Epic Sigma skin. Two more free events land later in the season: Junkrat’s Loot Hunt in late November and Drives plus the OWCS Cheer Rally in early December. Every date below comes from Blizzard’s own posts (checked November 4, 2026, 09:30 UTC).
Table of Contents
Quick answer
- Excavation Initiative (Nov 3 – Dec 7): complete three digs each week to earn a Loot Box, with bonus, Epic and Legendary Loot Boxes for players who keep going.
- Taking Reign Free Pass (Nov 3 – Dec 7): 24 tiers over five weeks of games and challenges. The free reward Blizzard names is an Epic Sigma skin.
- Junkrat’s Loot Hunt (Nov 19 or 20 – Nov 23): one Loot Box per five games, up to nine times, with Double XP all event.
- Drives (Dec 3 – 7): up to 3,000 Competitive Points plus a Signature, or up to 3,000 Legacy Weapon Points in Quick Play.
- End times: Blizzard gives dates only. December 7 is the last day, and no end hour has been published.
Every free Overwatch reward this season, with dates
| Event | Dates (Blizzard) | Free rewards | What you do |
|---|---|---|---|
| Excavation Initiative | Nov 3 – Dec 7 | Loot Boxes, bonus Loot Boxes, Epic and Legendary Loot Boxes | Three digs a week |
| Taking Reign (Free Pass) | Nov 3 – Dec 7 | Epic Sigma skin (a recolor) and other free tiers | Play games, complete challenges |
| Junkrat’s Loot Hunt + Double XP | Nov 19 – 23 (patch notes) / Nov 20 – 23 (news post) | Up to 9 Loot Boxes | Five games per challenge, no daily reset |
| OWCS World Finals Cheer Rally | Nov 24 – Dec 7 (patch notes) / Dec 3 – 7 (news post) | Loot boxes, Battle Pass XP, cosmetics | Earn Cheers in matches and challenges, plus watching the Dec 2-6 broadcasts |
| Competitive and Quick Play Drives | Dec 3 – 7 | Up to 3,000 Competitive Points + a Signature, or up to 3,000 Legacy Weapon Points | Play the Drive in either mode |
Blizzard’s own posts give two different dates for Junkrat’s Loot Hunt and the Cheer Rally. The November 3 patch notes list the earlier start in both cases, and the midseason news post lists the later one. Both versions end on the same day, so playing on the later dates covers you either way. We’ll update this table once the events start in-game.
The Excavation Initiative runs November 3 to December 7: three digs a week earn a Loot Box. Image: Blizzard Entertainment
How the Excavation Initiative works
Blizzard’s Excavation Initiative announcement says to “complete three digs each week to earn a Loot Box” and then keep digging for bonus Loot Boxes, Epic Loot Boxes and a Legendary Loot Box. Loot Boxes are free boxes of random rewards that you earn by playing, and this event doesn’t require buying anything.
The patch notes describe the 2026 version “with some changes”: you earn Loot Boxes “by logging in and winning a game,” and you get the Base, Epic and Legendary boxes by doing this over several weeks. Put together, Blizzard’s two descriptions mean:
- Log in and win games every week. The patch notes tie the boxes to logging in and winning, and the announcement counts three digs per week.
- Come back every week. The Epic and Legendary boxes are tied to completing the challenges across multiple weeks, not to one long session.
- The window from November 3 to December 7 covers five weeks, so playing every week gives you the most chances.
Blizzard doesn’t say exactly how many weeks unlock the Epic or the Legendary box, so we’ve left that out rather than guess.
Excavation Initiative not working?
Blizzard hasn’t posted a known issue for the event. The patch notes’ Bug Fixes section doesn’t mention it. The two most common reasons progress seems stuck both come from Blizzard’s own rules: the patch notes require a win, not just a finished match, and the patch notes tie the bigger boxes to playing over multiple weeks, so one long session won’t unlock them all. If neither applies, report it on Blizzard’s Bug Report forum, which the patch notes page links to.
Taking Reign event: free Sigma skin and the 24 tiers
Taking Reign is the last chapter of the year-long Reign of Talon story, set in Rialto. According to Blizzard’s Taking Reign post, you play games and complete challenges over five weeks to climb 24 tiers. The free reward Blizzard names is a new Epic Sigma skin on the Free Pass, which the news post calls “an Epic Sigma skin recolor.” Your progress also counts toward a community vote on what stands at Blizzard World Point 2.
For completeness, the paid side: the Premium Event Pass costs 1,000 Overwatch Coins. It instantly unlocks the Resurgence Doomfist Legendary skin and adds a track toward Vendetta’s Anima Fang Legendary weapon skin. Blizzard says a purchased Premium pass can be finished at any time, even after the event ends. You don’t need it for the free Sigma skin.
Illustration of event loot crates; Junkrat's Loot Hunt adds up to nine Loot Boxes in late November. AI-generated illustration
Junkrat’s Loot Hunt: up to nine more Loot Boxes
Junkrat’s Loot Hunt comes back for a weekend in late November. Each challenge takes five games and gives one Loot Box, and you can repeat it up to nine times. There’s no daily reset this time, so you can play all of it in one sitting or spread it out over the weekend. Double XP runs for the whole event.
December: Drives and the OWCS Cheer Rally
Drives return from December 3 to 7 with separate Competitive and Quick Play tracks. Competitive Drives pay up to 3,000 Competitive Points and a Signature, and Quick Play Drives pay up to 3,000 Legacy Weapon Points. You can do both. The OWCS World Finals run in Guangzhou from December 2 to 6. During the Cheer Rally you earn Cheers in-game and get extra Cheers for watching the official broadcasts with your account linked on Twitch or YouTube.
What’s not free this season
Several other things launched with the midseason update are shop or paid items: the Overwatch x EVE Protocol collaboration (November 3 to 17), the Mythic Necrotic Knight Roadhog skin and the Black Friday Vault Sale bundles (November 3 to December 7). For free games outside Overwatch, see our free games for November 2026 and free Steam games this week roundups. If you play other hero shooters, the Marvel Rivals Endgame mode and free Captain America skin guide covers a similar earn-by-playing reward. For how regulators now rate games with paid random rewards, see our report on PEGI moving loot box games to 16. New Overwatch updates also go on our gaming news live page.
FAQ
When does the Overwatch Taking Reign event end?
Blizzard says Taking Reign runs from November 3 to December 7, 2026. It hasn’t given an end hour, so finish your free tiers before December 7. The midseason update was already live on November 3 when Blizzard’s official X account said the EVE Protocol collab was “available NOW” at 19:00 UTC.
Is the Sigma skin in Taking Reign free?
Yes. Blizzard puts the Epic Sigma skin on the Free Pass, so you earn it by playing and completing challenges.
How many free Loot Boxes can you get in Overwatch right now?
The Excavation Initiative gives a Loot Box for three digs each week across five weeks, plus bonus, Epic and Legendary boxes. Junkrat’s Loot Hunt adds up to nine more in late November. Blizzard hasn’t published one total for the Excavation Initiative.
Do I need the Premium Event Pass for Loot Boxes?
No. Blizzard’s descriptions tie the Excavation Initiative and Junkrat’s Loot Hunt boxes to playing, not to the Premium pass.
Sources: Blizzard Entertainment on Steam (Taking Reign, Excavation Initiative, Nov 3, 2026); Reign of Talon: S5 Midcycle Sets Up the Showdown (Overwatch news, Nov 3, updated Nov 3); Overwatch Retail Patch Notes, November 3, 2026; @PlayOverwatch on X. Checked November 4, 2026, 09:30 UTC.
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Featured image: Blizzard Entertainment
