Which seasonal event introduced Capture the Flag to Overwatch?

Lunar New Year introduced Capture the Flag to Overwatch. The mode debuted during the 2017 Year of the Rooster event, Blizzard’s first Lunar New Year celebration for the game. It was presented as a festive version of a familiar competitive game type, with teams racing to steal an opposing flag and return it safely to base.

The original brawl was played on Lijiang Tower, a map normally associated with Control. Blizzard chose the setting because its three interconnected areas could support both attacks and defensive stands. The event also added themed cosmetics, fireworks, and a large collection of Lunar New Year loot.

A common mix-up is confusing the event’s broad name with its 2017 zodiac-specific title. “Lunar New Year” is the recurring seasonal event, while “Year of the Rooster” identifies that particular edition. Capture the Flag later returned in other forms, including regular custom-game variants and faster arcade versions, but its Overwatch debut belongs to that first Lunar New Year event.