Mei’s backstory is the focus of the Antarctic Peninsula
Overwatch 2’sthird season is right around the corner and, as always, that means we’re getting a new map. Blizzard have treated us to our first look at the Antarctic Peninsula, an icy-themed control map launching alongside Season 3 on February 7th. The Antarctic Peninsula is a big deal since it’ll delve into Mei’s backstory, it’s the first natural environment in an OW map, and it lets you fish. As in catching fish. At an ice hole. As in, you can catch fish at an ice hole in Overwatch 2.
TheOverwatchTwitter account released a10-second clipof how the Easter egg slash mini-game works. Essentially, the map’s hard ice floors contain a few cracks, revealing a pool of water underneath. If you want the fish, shoot them. It looks like one bullet causes a single fish to shoot out, leading to an amusing eruption of seafood when Tracer unloads her pistols. The fishing is nothing fancy, but I’m the type of nerd who shoots every champagne bottle while waiting for a match to start. This will be fun for me if nothing else.
Apart from that, Blizzard also shared a 30-secondteaseof the map’s three control points. This is the first map in the series to feature a natural setting, so the abundance of cold blues feels notably different. In an interview withGamespot, Overwatch’s art director Dion Rogers expressed interest in more organic-based maps. “We’re excited to explore more areas like the jungle or even a full environment that’s a cave,” he said. “It’s totally doable with the new engine.”
In the lead-up to Overwatch 2’s PvE content, it seems like the team’s playing around with narrative elements in maps, as well. Lead narrative designer, Gavin Jurgens-Fyhrie, teased we’d see more of Mei’s backstory through the environment. “You can see the Overwatch Icebreaker ship that tried to come and rescue Mei and her team but failed,” he explained. Although he teased a secret on the map that reveals something “exciting about the story to come.”
The only thing we know about the upcoming Season 3 is that it’ll revamp the shooter’sranked modeto add “more clarity in the system”. The full trailer for Season 3 will debut on February 6th. Until then, Overwatch 2 is a free-to-play download onBattle.net.
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