Overwatch Anniversary event countdown: Leaked skins for 2018, start time, date, Petra map

Overwatch fans are counting down to the start of the Anniversary event for 2018.

The second annual Overwatch Anniversary event has a May 22 release date on PS4, Xbox One and PC.

Based on previous events, fans can expect the Overwatch Anniversary event to have a 6pm start time.

The Anniversary event will also launch alongside a huge update and a lengthy list of patch notes. 

This year's Anniversary event will bring back skins and items from past Overwatch events, not to mention returning brawls and a brand new free-for-all deathmatch map called Petra.

But what Overwatch fans really want to see are the brand new Legendary skins launching as part of the new event.

And thanks to a recent leak, you can check out the full selection of new skins and last year's Anniversary skins in the gallery below...

Petra, meanwhile, is described as a beautiful map with unique gameplay elements.

This includes a mega health pack in the centre of the map, which is sure to become a hotly contested zone among players.

"A group of archaeologists have begun an excavation and preservation project among the ruins of Petra, a new Deathmatch map that puts all heroes on their own, facing off against one another until one hero scores enough eliminations to win the match," reads a Blizzard post.

"Take in Petra’s majestic views, from high vistas to twisting passageways and deep caverns."

Fans will also need to be aware of steep cliffs and a lethal pit beneath a crumbling bridge.

"Travel along deadly cliffs, but be careful to not fall off!" Blizzard continues.

"A dilapidated bridge stretches across the map, and the ground underneath it can crumble away to reveal a lethal pit. Hopping on a green jump pad will boost you up to Petra’s higher levels and unlock new strategic possibilities for you."

The Anniversary 2018 event will also usher in a new deathmatch season, which will see solo players compete for exclusive rewards.