Overwatch 2’s new Antarctic Peninsula map will drop with the launch of season 3 on February 7, and in it, you’ll find penguins, snow, and a sort-of-functional ice fishing spot.
The Management map has three distinct factors to seize: one which takes place in science labs, one other that surrounds a mining drill, and a 3rd on an icebreaker ship. Every of them are surrounded in pure paths fabricated from ice and snow, which was a substantial problem to make, based on its designers.
“We’re used to engaged on you realize, form of modular, avenue, city-based stuff that has loads of like actual world reference, that is nice to have a look at. Hastily, we are saying we’re gonna do Antarctica and also you Google ‘Antarctic,’ and also you go, oh, you realize, that is an issue,” stage designer Trey Spisak stated, expressing that Antarctica has few visually distinct areas aside from its common local weather.
For that motive, the iteration course of on the brand new map took longer than others as Blizzard needed to suppose deeply about what it ought to seem like. “We actually needed to work with [art director Dion Rogers’] workforce to determine not solely what regarded proper, however what we may feasibly obtain on the technical facet to verify we did not have an excessive amount of of that ice or an excessive amount of of that snow.”
The studio did have slightly little bit of reference materials to work with; lead narrative designer Gavin Jurgens-Fyhrie stated the map is loosely primarily based on a particular, actual world location. “We have been capable of look on an precise map, a world map I imply, and say, okay, that is exactly on the world map the place Mei’s lab (opens in new tab) was, this is the place the icebreaker ship is.” “That was one of many issues I began arguing for when it comes to the map title, for ‘Antarctic Peninsula,’ as a result of it is on an precise peninsula. It is a big like—it is the a part of Antarctica reaching out in direction of the southern a part of South America.”
Antarctic Peninsula, a New Management map, debuts in Season 3! 🥶Ideas that will help you put together:🧤Gown accordingly🐧All the time say hello to the penguins🏆Seize the purpose & winTune in Feb 6 for the Season 3 Trailer👀 https://t.co/7Hpk8qWd8H pic.twitter.com/rSydZvDWBHFebruary 2, 2023
I wasn’t capable of see footage of the map or play it, however the screenshots Blizzard supplied present a map that retains Overwatch’s landmark-based map design with surprisingly uneven and unstructured terrain round them. Present maps primarily based on New York Metropolis and Toronto are, clearly, constructed like the true world cities they’re primarily based on. Streets and alleyways really feel practical as you dart across the map in a standard match. Antarctic Peninsula is not the primary principally unique map in Overwatch 2, nevertheless it is perhaps probably the most visually spectacular one.
One of many three seize factors has an enormous drilling machine close to it that was virtually an environmental hazard that may injury you while you’re close to it. It did not work out, however the workforce stated they’d nonetheless wish to mess around with related concepts sooner or later. “I do not learn about environmental hazards,” Jurgens-Fyhrie stated. “However we did add some environmental bonuses to this map within the type of penguins.” The penguins cannot be killed, however they do react in case you are the kind of monster to shoot at them. You can too go ice fishing by capturing into the water, which causes fish to come out. And the snow within the map makes use of new shader tech that leaves deep footprints within the floor.
“Say you needed to make a snow angel, you possibly can really stroll your character round and truly create this and we discovered loads of gamers on the workforce have been simply creating good designs within the snow with this new shader that we developed,” Rogers stated. “There is a bunch of easter eggs and enjoyable issues to find inside Antarctica.”
Overwatch 2 season 3 launches on February 7 and can reintroduce the power to earn skins for free (opens in new tab).
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