Overwatch players charmed by surprising detail in Anniversary Wrecking Ball skin

Brad Norton
Overwatch Wrecking Ball eight ball skin

Wrecking Ball’s brand new Overwatch Anniversary skin has won over the community thanks to a hidden detail tucked away in the snooker-themed design.

With each passing year, Blizzard treats us to a variety of fascinating skins in Overwatch. Sometimes we get custom-made designs inspired by pro players, other times we get a whole batch of thematically appropriate designs for the latest event.

As expected, the 2021 Anniversary Event continued the trend. Eight brand new skins were made available on May 18 to celebrate the fifth anniversary of Overwatch. From Moira to Sombra, plenty of fan-favorite heroes were given fresh looks for the in-game party.

The final unlock, however, was handed to Wrecking Ball. A unique ‘8 Ball’ skin gave the charming hamster his most polished look yet. One detail in particular though has stood out, and captivated the Overwatch community.

While the new design gives the hamster a charming suit, it’s the Wrecking Ball itself that lends to a secretive detail under the surface. Modeled after an eight ball from any old pool table, the developers tweaked more than just its visual appearance.

When activating the Minefield Ultimate, a new sound echoes throughout the map. Mines scatter around the hero as though Hammond was just breaking in a new pool table.

The explosives still function just the same and their appearance is unchanged. But this little audio cue was enough to gain traction across the internet, with multiple Reddit posts blowing up in recent days.

“That’s such a freaking cool detail,” one player said. “Why can’t more skins have cosmetic gameplay changes?” another asked. 

It’s worth noting this isn’t the first time Blizzard has snuck in an exclusive detail. We’ve seen this level of detail on a variety of skins in the past and it could be something that continues in Overwatch 2.

From special animations on Reinhartd’s StarCraft skin, to a funky detail in Baptiste’s latest design, there’s always something new to look out for.

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About The Author

Brad Norton is the Australian Managing Editor at Dexerto. He graduated from Swinburne University with a Bachelor’s degree in journalism and has been working full-time in the field for the past six years at the likes of Gamurs Group and now Dexerto. He loves all things single-player gaming (with Uncharted a personal favorite) but has a history on the competitive side having previously run Oceanic esports org Mindfreak. You can contact Brad at brad.norton@dexerto.com