Gamescom is currently taking place in Cologne, Germany and as they have done so many times in the past, Blizzard graced the expo with its presence. And while the developer is going to showcase all of its games, I’m focusing on one, Overwatch. Amongst all the data mining and hunts for Sombra clues, players of Overwatch have found voice lines for Heroes that still aren’t used in the game’s current state. That led to the belief that these lines would be used on a new map, and yesterday, Blizzard confirmed this. The new Overwatch map is called Eichenwalde!
Set in an abandoned village on the edge of the Stuttgart region of Germany, the map is another Hybrid map, which composes both Capture the Point and Escort modes. According to developers, the map will be released in September, the same month the Overwatch’s second season of competitive rolls out. The map spirals around this castle, with the centre of the map being quite vertical. Muselk, a popular streamer of Overwatch has streamed the map from Gamescom, letting players get a glimpse of the map before it releases publicly.
“The site of one of the most famous battles during the Omnic Crisis, it was here that the leader of the Crusaders, Balderich von Alder, and a handful of his best soldiers made a last stand against an advancing automaton army. Outnumbered and outgunned, they were ultimately slain during the resulting combat. However, thanks to their valiant efforts, the German military was able to push back the omnic offensive and win the fight.
On this map, one team must escort a battering ram to Eichenwalde Castle to reclaim Balderich’s remains from their current resting place, while the opposing team does everything in its power to thwart the keep from being breached.”
This map is also the location of the upcoming Overwatch short movie: The Last Bastion. The animators have also announced that The Last Bastion heralds “Season Two” of the Overwatch animated shorts. A sneak peak of The Last Bastion can be viewed below.
Blizzard have also detailed a numerous other upcoming changes spanning across all of their games which can be seen here.
