Overwatch Dev Teases Krakow Map For Overwatch 2
It may be a long way off yet, but that hasn't stopped eager fans looking ahead at what's going on behind the doors of Blizzard Entertainment with Overwatch 2. With the OG Overwatch coming out in 2016, it's carved itself an impressive legacy by popularising the hero shooter genre and paving the way for the likes of Apex Legends, VALORANT, and Rogue Company. Aside from sketchy details that Overwatch 2 will be an almost completely different game, we know almost nothing about what to expect from the next chapter.
Alongside a huge reveal at this year's BlizzCon Online, a few new details have started making their way online, with one Overwatch developer claiming Overwatch 2 will have a huge new map that's inspired by Krakow. Even if it's not an update on when we could see Overwatch 2, at least gamers know what to expect with a chilly trip to this Polish-inspired backdrop.
What is the Overwatch 2 Krakow map?
When discussing the Kanezaka map in Overwatch, the dev team inadvertedly dropped a huge dump of information on Overwatch 2. When talking about the inspiration for Kanezaka, the team were asked about their dream locale to bring to life in-game. Instead of giving a generic stock response, the post explained how we'll devs are one step ahead and will be introducing it in Overwatch 2.
“You’ll see in Overwatch 2!", said the post. Senior Artist Thiago Klafke added, "Krakow, Poland. This is a city that I visited a few times and fell in love with. The medieval architecture is beautiful and well preserved, the city has very pleasant plazas and open spaces, with lots of interesting shapes and colors! It’s also somewhat exotic for someone who grew in Brazil and now lives in California".
Unfortunately, that's all there is to go on for now. Although this was a seemingly bombshell moment, there's no concept art or reveals on how the Overwatch 2 Krakow map could look. Only recently, Overwatch added Kanezaka and the "Kanezaka Challenge" to its already packed roster of maps. Instead of the usual 6v6 fight, Kanezaka is a free-for-all deathmatch that's been getting plenty of praise. Added to this, the "Kanezaka Challenge" is focussed on Hanzo and rewards players for jumping into the action.
Overwatch 2 Krakow map: What else do we know?
In terms of when we could see the Overwatch 2 Krakow map, there might be a bit of a wait. Despite wild rumours last year that we'd be ready in time for BlizzCon, they've been royally debunked as Overwatch Director Jeff Kaplan teased there is a "way to go" before Overwatch 2 will hit the scene. Kaplan's words of warning have been backed up by a recent Blizzard job listing, looking for a Lead Mission Designer. The position has now been filled, but given that it's such a key role to Overwatch 2's development, you might expect the right person would've been found ages ago.
Although not all of the jobs currently available are specifically aimed at Overwatch 2, it's pretty likely that at least some of them are. If this is the case, it means a lengthy wait could be on the cards. In better news, we've had our first real tease of who could be coming to Blizzard's sequel. A mysterious Overwatch 2 teaser popped up with the "Kanezaka Challenge" and hinted at a newcomer called Asa Yamagami - who could have beef with Hanzo and Genji Shimada. Either way, we can't wait to see the regular roster of Overwatch favourites and the newcomers duke it out in Krakow.
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