With Overwatch 2’s third season simply across the nook, Blizzard is able to reveal the sport’s latest, and chilliest, map: Antarctic Peninsula. This icy addition is Overwatch 2’s first map solely designed for Control, a recreation mode first launched within the unique Overwatch that sees two groups of 5 sq. up towards one another as they try to take care of management of a location for a set time period.Though this mode is an Overwatch staple–and followers of Mei’s Snowball Offensive may discover the arctic setting a bit familiar–Antarctic Peninsula marks an vital shift in how Blizzard will likely be approaching maps because the sequence continues. In a bunch interview with GameSpot and different gaming shops, artwork director Dion Rogers, degree designer Trey Spisak, and lead narrative designer Gavin Jurgens-Fyhrie elaborated on how the sport’s map improvement is evolving, what makes Antarctic Peninsula distinctive from earlier maps, and what lies in retailer for Overwatch 2’s future.One of the three places included in Antarctic PeninsulaFirstly, the Antarctic Peninsula map marks the beginning of one thing new for Blizzard: a push towards what Blizzard calls extra natural maps. The builders defined that, till not too long ago, Overwatch maps have primarily been designed in a really modular style. However, because the crew has checked off all of the “popular locations” and cities throughout the globe, Rogers defined, they now need to concentrate on the “many under-inspected locations” they have been “toying around with.””Overwatch is a city-based game, you fight in cities in New York and in Portugal, but Antarctica is a very organic map for us,” artwork director Rogers mentioned. “It’s uneven in its shapes, there’s curvatures to the caves and ice, and this posed a challenge for both narrative and level design to make a map that features less of that modular feeling. We pushed it pretty far, how organic an Overwatch map can be.”When we jumped into Antarctica, we talked with our instruments engineers, or graphic engineers, concerning the kinds of instruments we would wish to create extra natural shapes in a sooner method. Normally, an artist would wish to sculpt most shapes, however we up to date our instruments so now we’re excited to discover extra areas just like the jungle or perhaps a full setting that is a cave. It’s completely doable now with the brand new engine… We undoubtedly plan to do extra of what we name ‘organic-based maps.'”The Southern LightsThis style of map is not just new territory for the design team, but the narrative team as well. Jurgens-Fyhrie explained that previous Overwatch 2 maps, such as Season 2’s Portugal, have required a bit more outside thinking when linking them to Overwatch 2’s overarching story. Similarly, future organic maps that don’t feature bustling cities and blatant links to characters require a bit more consideration. However, these maps do offer up opportunities to delve deep into character’s backstories, as is the case with Mei and Antarctic Peninsula.”One of the questions that I’ve heard from the general public and have at all times been excited to reply is, ‘Hey, Mei and her co-workers have been frozen for ages. Why did nobody ever come to rescue them?'” Jurgens-Fyhrie said. “It’s kind of a tragic query, however the reply is Overwatch tried. And that is one of many issues that is so thrilling about this map, you get to see an enormous a part of the story that we have by no means talked about earlier than. And you’ll be able to play throughout that space. You can see the Overwatch Icebreaker ship that attempted to come back and rescue Mei and her crew however failed. And the individuals there needed to flee as a result of the climate was too insane–they had no selection and Overwatch was disbanded earlier than anybody ever went again there. You can see some hints about what Mei and her crew have been looking for up there.””And possibly there’s kind of a secret,” Jurgens-Fyhrie added with a smile. “Maybe there’s one thing you could find on the map that may inform you one thing much more thrilling concerning the story to come back.”The Overwatch Icebreaker shipWith Overwatch 2’s long-awaited PvE feature slated to drop later this year, it’s no surprise the team is ramping up for a big push towards narrative-focused content. However, this doesn’t mean they aren’t investing time into working up some fun new additions for the game as well.Though the team ultimately vetoed putting environmental hazards in Antarctic Peninsula–they considered it for some time before ultimately worrying it might be too gimmicky and frustrating–they did add what they referred to as “environmental bonuses.””Penguins have been very important to the crew’s happiness,” Rogers said.”[And] within the optimistic way forward for Overwatch, penguins can dodge bullets,” Jurgens-Fyhrie added.While you can’t pet the penguins–though Rogers assured us the team tried–you can shoot at them. If you do, however, the penguins will dexterously avoid each bullet and pull off some “Matrix-like” moves.In addition, the Antarctic Peninsula map also features a fishing mini-game. “I did not even initially know this made it into the extent, nevertheless it did,” Rogers said.One of the interior Control pointsWhile the mini-game isn’t robust, players can shoot into fishing holes to cause fish to come to the surface, thus “fishing.” Rogers added that these fishing holes also give players a chance to have some fun with the game’s physics engine, but didn’t elaborate beyond that.Rogers also revealed that the map has the deepest amount of snow ever seen on an Overwatch map, meaning players will be able to draw designs in the snow. While the art director said the team had a lot of fun with the feature, they did not state if there were features in place to prevent more crude players from having too much fun with it.On a separate note, the team also addressed a question concerned with the rise of machine learning and AI implementation in gaming. Rogers stated the studio does not use AI to help design levels, explaining, “Our dev crew makes every little thing. It’s that polish we search for that comes from every little thing being handcrafted. An artist or designer has touched each a part of our recreation.”Antarctic Peninsula and all its bulletproof penguins, fish, and new hero quips will hit Overwatch 2 with the beginning of Season 3. The season kicks off on February 7 and can run for about two months.
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