- The map will be deeply tied to Mei’s backstory
- It will see players duke it out in frozen caverns and an abandoned icebreaker
- Arctic Peninsula will also include ice fishing and shootable penguins
Blizzard is releasing a new map for Overwatch 2 that will see players compete for control over Mei’s laboratory.
Blizzard Will Release New Map
Overwatch 2 has been out for several months, but up until now, it has not had a control/king of the hill map. This will all change with Season 3 as Blizzard plans to introduce Arctic Peninsula, which will take players to a frozen landscape, complete with abandoned ships and frozen caverns to duke it out with opponents for objectives.
The map links well with Mei’s story as showcased in the animated short Rise and Shine. The map will be a way for players to experience untold parts of Mei’s story, which will include the Overwatch ice-breaking ship that tried to rescue Mei and her colleagues but ultimately failed.
“You can see some hints about what Mei and her team were trying to find there,” said Overwatch 2’s Principal narrative designer Gavin Jurgens-Fyhrie. “Maybe there are some sort of secrets. Maybe you can find something on the map that will tell you something even more exciting about the story to come,” he explained.
Arctic Peninsula will include a non-trivial amount of important information, so many fans have suspected the map will be connected to the upcoming PvE campaign later this year. However, the game devs have neither confirmed nor denied these speculations, just responding to them with a simple “Stay tuned”.
What Will the Map Feature?
Antarctic Peninsula will be split into three different points, just like other king of the hill maps. The first one of these is the ice-breaker ship that was supposed to rescue Mei and her coworkers. Players will have to fight in the innards of that ship in order to reach the point.
The map’s second point is located underground in a mine where scientists were working to discover new properties. The area around the point has a lot of verticality, despite being underground, and it has a big drill that can pose some challenges for those looking to take the objective.
The final map of the point will see players fight for control over the labs where Mei and her co-workers were up to towards the Ecopoint area of Antarctica. It is a more “straightforward” control point but gives players some interesting flanking options.
Finally, Arctic Peninsula will feature a couple of “minigames”. The map will be dotted with fishing holes that players can shoot and fish. Additionally, penguins will be shootable, although they will not die, but instead will dodge bullets. Unfortunately, you can not yet pet the animals.
