Overwatch players that were only expecting holiday-themed skins and a winter brawl to close out 2020 have been given a special surprise from Blizzard. Via the official Overwatch Twitter account, the studio revealed that a new map called Kanezaka is coming to the game for Deathmatch fans.
While Blizzard’s attention is surely focused on the development of Overwatch 2 at this point, fans of the current game will surely be happy to see a bit more support thrown their way. For the first time in several months, players have been given a new map to explore, giving Deathmatch players some welcome map variety. With the new location also available when killing the time stuck in a queue, all Overwatch players should be excited to see the addition of Kanezaka.
Alongside a video of the map, Blizzard tweeted that the new location is “now testing on the PTR.” If players want to help ensure the map is working properly on its public release, they can hop into the game’s public test realm and play on Kanezaka right now. The PTR testing also allows players to come up with some new Overwatch map strategies, giving themselves an early advantage over other players whenever the free-for-all map goes public.
With the map being tied to Deathmatch modes only, it'll likely not have to spend too much time in the testing phase. Before long, players will be exploring the new Overwatch map’s boundaries, taking note of everything in between. As shown in the video of the map, there is quite a bit to be seen, as the Japanese setting has been wonderfully realized to explore the “rich history” of the country. From tower-like buildings to gorgeous trees, each location of the map captures the vibrant style seen throughout the Overwatch universe.
Looking like a mix of Hanamura and Busan, Overwatch heroes like Hanzo should feel right at home in the special location. As highlighted in the video and the attached text, the map features a “seedy nightclub” for players to destroy with their abilities. Beyond that, Deathmatch fans can explore a cat cafe, something that should be extremely exciting to the cat-loving support hero Brigitte. Unfortunately, there are no living cats to pet in the cafe, but seeing all their towers and scratching posts scattered around the area is adorable, nonetheless.
For the first time in a while, it feels like there is a good amount of new content for Overwatch players to enjoy. Alongside this new Kanezaka map, Overwatch’s Winter Wonderland 2020 event has brought some exciting new skins and a brand-new seasonal brawl, giving fans plenty of things to do to close out December.
Overwatch is available now on PC, PS4, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox One.