Since Overwatch 2 took over its predecessor's legacy and became free-to-play in late 2022, it has seen a massive increase in players, who all want to look their best in-game - but because Overwatch 2's rarest skins are nearly unattainable, only a few will ultimately be best dressed on the battlefield. Those who own these cosmetic items will never have to worry about matching outfits with a fellow competitor, as most are exclusive to past events or purchases that make them impossible to obtain through standard means.

Besides its switch from 6v6 to 5v5, one of the most significant changes to Blizzard's competitive FPS game was its monetization model. Between free and premium battle pass tiers, several types of in-game currency, and no shortage of microtransactions, some players feel that Overwatch 2's alternative to lootboxes is worse than its counterpart. One thing is for certain, though - skins are harder to come by than ever before, especially for those reluctant to open their pockets, and this only makes the rarest skins in Overwatch 2 an even greater statement.

10 Widowmaker's Kerrigan Skin

In celebration of Starcraft's 20th anniversary, Overwatch released the Kerrigan Widowmaker skin in 2018. Those familiar with the Blizzard's strategic multiplayer game (which D.Va canonically plays in Overwatch 2 lore) will recognize this as a clear nod to Sarah Kerrigan, a similarly red-headed character from the preceding game.

The Kerrigan Widowmaker skin only required that players log in to the game before the nearly month-long event ended, but it's still among one of the rarest skins in Overwatch 2, as not even all veteran users will have had a chance to grab this skin in time.

9 Genji's Pacific All-Stars Skin

Playing Genji properly in Overwatch 2 requires skill, but the requirements for owning the hero's Pacific All-Stars skin are even higher. This bold, flaming skin, embellished with intricate gold markings, was only available to those who watched the debut season of the Overwatch League in 2018 and earned 200 League Tokens before the end of the All-Stars weekend.

While League Tokens can still be used to buy skins in Overwatch 2, Genji's Pacific All-Stars skin was only available for a single weekend, and so even avid watchers of the Overwatch League's first season may have missed their opportunity to snatch this rare Overwatch skin.

8 Tracer's Atlantic All-Stars Skin

As its name would imply, Tracer's Atlantic All-Stars skin is the counterpart to Genji's Pacific skin, meaning it was also only available during the All-Stars weekend in 2018. However, Tracer's skin is even harder to come by in-game.

The eccentric, convoluted theme of the Atlantic All-Stars skin ultimately proved to be less popular with the community, and so many players opted to save their League Tokens instead of committing to this purchase. It may not be one of Tracer's best looks, but it's certainly one of the rarest skins in Overwatch 2, and it has yet to return to the League Shop (alongside Pacific Genji).

7 Reinhardt's Raynhardt Skin

Raynhardt Reinhardt is not only one of the greatest alliterations to grace Overwatch, but it's also another reference to Starcraft, this time coming to fruition for Blizzard's 30th anniversary. Assuming the look of Jim Raynor, this skin was released during Blizzcon 2021 and cost players a hefty $40, making it one of the game's most expensive skins to date. Naturally, this also makes it one of the rarest, especially since it's no longer available for purchase.

6 Brigitte's Medic Skin

Although there are ways to enjoy Overwatch 2 without spending money, obtaining Medic Brigitte was certainly not one of them. This skin was only available during the 2022 "Support A Streamer" Twitch event for Overwatch 2, which rewarded those who subscribed to three separate channels streaming the game.

The sentiment was well-intentioned, but the $15 skin wasn't cosmetically a favorite among players, which made its purchase rates extremely low. Thus, Medic Brigitte is one of Overwatch 2's rarest skins, despite its recency.

5 Mercy's Pink Skin

Being one of the community's most treasured skins, Pink Mercy was only purchasable during a 2018 charity event within Overwatch, which incentivized donations to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Despite the overwhelming success of the campaign and the skin's popularity, it hasn't made a comeback since, much to the dismay of the many who missed out on this glamorously pink opportunity to aid in a good cause.

In fact, even though Mercy's Overwatch 2 rework was better than expected, Community Manager AndyB on the Blizzard Forums confirmed that the developer unfortunately has no plans to bring back Pink Mercy, cementing its position as one of Overwatch 2's rarest skins.

4 Widowmaker's Noire Skin

Widowmaker is one of the franchise's most iconic heroes, and so it's no surprise that the cold-blooded French assassin has received many skins over the years, but her most exclusive look by far is the famed Noire skin. This edgy black-and-red outfit, adorned with details as sharp as the hero herself, was only available with a pre-order of the original Overwatch game, which means that only those who have been playing since day one will own this incredibly rare skin in Overwatch 2. While it did make a brief return for the launch of the game on the Nintendo Switch, it remains one of the least common skins across all platforms.

3 Winston's Blizzcon Skin

Overwatch 2 hero Winston is comparatively lacking in the cosmetics department, but the monkey scientist's Blizzcon skin stands its ground against the Noire skin. Although the simplistic blue-and-silver look may not be impressive visually, its appeal lies in that it was only attainable during Blizzcon 2017, either by attending the event in-person or by purchasing a virtual ticket. With its release taking place only one year into Overwatch's lifespan, and with much of the community finding the skin to be unappealing, Blizzcon Winston inherently remains one of Overwatch 2's rarest skins.

2 Bastion's Blizzcon Skin

Lovable Omnic character Bastion underwent a massive rework between titles, but one thing that remained stagnant was the rarity of his Blizzcon skin. Just like Winston's future counterpart, it could only be unlocked by physically visiting Blizzcon 2016 or by purchasing a Virtual Blizzcon Pass, which ultimately whittles skin ownership down to an even smaller percentage of players.

Since playing Bastion in Overwatch 2 is much more complex than it was in Overwatch, seeing this skin in-game is a truly rare occurrence. In fact, Blizzcon Bastion can be found on third-party retail sites being sold for upwards of $500, speaking volumes about the scarcity of this skin.

1 Zarya's Alien Skin

Overwatch 2's rarest skin is Alien Zarya, which was created as a tribute to former Overwatch League professional player and 2019 MVP, Jay "Sinatraa" Won. The tuxedo-clad look was already an uncommon find, as it came at the cost of 200 League Tokens.

But after Won was accused of sexual assault in 2021, Blizzard removed the skin from future patches, altered its appearance, and began offering refunds to all users that had purchased the skin. The refund was optional, but thanks to its initial exclusivity, Alien Zarya quickly became the rarest skin in Overwatch 2.

Sources: Breast Cancer Research Foundation, AndyB/Blizzard Forums

Editor’s Note: A lawsuit has been filed against Activision Blizzard by the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing, which alleges the company has engaged in abuse, discrimination, and retaliation against its female employees. Activision Blizzard has denied the allegations. The full details of the Activision Blizzard lawsuit (content warning: rape, suicide, abuse, harassment) are being updated as new information becomes available.