The Lunar New Year or Chinese New Year for 2023 takes place on Sunday, January 22. In celebration of the event, several major games are hosting special events or selling themed bundles based on the upcoming Year of the Rabbit. Here are all the 2023 Lunar New Year gaming events we’ve seen so far!
Lunar New Year 2023 gaming events
Genshin Impact Lantern Rite Festival / Exquisite Night Chimes
The Lantern Rite Festival returns to Genshin Impact in 2023 with the Exquisite Night Chimes event. It includes a new racing game called Radiant Sparks that lets players join in the firework festivities of Liyue. That’s followed by a quest in which you assist the running of the Paper Theater, then complete time trials with the Waverider, and finally take out enemies at the behest of the Ministry of Civil Affairs. Earn Festive Fever from these events and you can claim a 4-star Liyue character of your choosing, as well as several primogem bundles along the way.
Apex Legends Celestial Sunrise Collection Event
© Respawn Entertainment
The dawn of a new year in the Apex Games brings the Celestial Sunrise Collection Event. Along with plenty of themed cosmetics – including a Lucky Rabbit Octane and Dragon Warrior Pathfinder – the update adds a new limited-time mode called Hardcore Royale. The format is similar to Trios, but players are limited to white armor only and have significantly reduced HUD elements. Oh, and the ring starts at maximum damage. Best not get caught outside of it.
The 24 included event cosmetics are purchasable with Apex Coins or crafting materials, and will also appear in Celestial Sunrise Event Apex Packs for the duration. There's also the Celestial Sunrise pass to work through, earning charms, skins, packs, and more Celestial Sunrise starts January 24th and will conclude on February 7th.
Valorant Luna bundle
Let some light into your Lunar New Year with the Luna Bundle, containing cosmetics specially made to celebrate the Year of the Rabbit. Available in your shop JAN 26 PT. pic.twitter.com/uXycP5d188
— VALORANT (@PlayVALORANT) January 18, 2023
Riot’s competitive FPS is ringing in the new year with the launch of a dedicated skin selection. There’s nothing to earn for free, sadly, but the Luna bundle does offer a swish selection of skins for the Spectre, Marshal, Vandal, and Ghost, as well as a new knife. Oh, and there are two adorable rabbit gun buddies as well. They’re arriving in the shop on January 26.
Overwatch 2 Year of the Rabbit
© Blizzard
Overwatch 2’s Year of the Rabbit event sees a selection of time-limited modes return to the Arcade, including Bounty Hunter, CTF, and CTF Blitz. Lijiang Tower will be lit up with fireworks as usual, and players can earn the Kkachi Echo Legendary skin and Moira Legendary Mask Dancer skin through event challenges and Twitch drops, respectively. There’s one new addition available in the shop: Mei’s Hu Tou Mao skin. Full details here
Dead by Daylight Moonlight Burrow
© Studio BHVR
Those still hooked on Dead by Daylight have the Moonlight Burrow Event to enjoy. Running until January 24th, the event sees the game’s lobby and generators given a makeover and all previous Lunar cosmetics put on sale in the store. Red Envelope offerings can also be left during matches, allowing others to claim them for a Bloodpoint reward to both offerer and claimer.
Daily login rewards and promo codes are also promised. For the latter – including outfits for Dwight Fairfield, Jane Romero, and David King – you’ll need to head to the studio’s social accounts before registering the codes in-game. Full details on all the rewards can be found here.
Rocket League Lucky Lanterns
The highlight of Rocket League’s Lucky Lanterns Lunar New Year event is the gorgeous Forbidden Temple arena, which is set between pagodas amid towering rocky peaks. Playing matches during the event will earn Red Envelopes, which can then be redeemed for themed rewards like the Paper Dragon Topper and Fortune Wheels. The event start January 20th and runs until February 17th. More details here.
League of Legends and Wild Rift Lunar Revel
The Annual Lunar New Year celebration comes to League of Legends and League of Legends: Wild Rift in 2023, running from January 12 to February 20. Pick up the Lunar Revel 2023 Pass and you can get access to a selection of premium rewards including emotes and essences as you unlock Lunar Revel tokens and XP through missions. The Lunar Revel Mega Bundle includes new skins for Ashe, Kha'Zix, Malphite, Qiyana, and Thresh. Wild Rift also has the Mythmaker skins available in a separate bundle
Steam’s Lunar New Year Sale
Steam is running Chinese New Year sale which discounts a selection of titles while also highlighting upcoming releases. There are also splinted sales on the platforms from developers and publishers including Microsoft & Bethesda, Sega, and Bandai Namco.
Spotted any other Lunar New Year gaming events? Drop us a message and we'll do our best to add them!
