Overwatch 2 Maps Feature New Weather Variants And Different Times

Blizzard has gradually lifted the lid on Overwatch 2 recently. With creative director Aaron Keller outlining their post-launch plans, five new maps, and news of a surprise shift to 5v5 teams, several team members have given us a look at map changes within the sequel.

Speaking in an official blog post, software engineer Marco Alamia was joined by developers Bruce Wilkie and Fabien Christin, giving joint insights into a new feature called "Environment States". Put simply, they let Blizzard use environmental effects in a transferable format between levels, affecting elements like weather and lighting.

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Overwatch 2 Maps Feature New Weather Variants And Different Times

At this time, Overwatch maps are designed individually, meaning they're stuck with specific times of day or conditions. However, Fabien Christin outlined how this could change, stating:

Let’s take the example of the fast-paced deathmatch map of Necropolis. You’ve probably played it in its night scenario, which marries the contrast of the cold blue colors of the nighttime with the bright orange of the torches lit around the buildings. But let’s say we want to experiment with a different scenario, and we decide to try the hot desert colors of Temple of Anubis. With the new Environment States system, all we need to do is take the Environment State from the Temple of Anubis and apply it to Necropolis.

It's quite a promising feature, potentially offering new takes on existing maps without much extra work required. With Overwatch 2 unlikely to launch until at least 2022, we've got a fair wait ahead, but we'll keep you posted as we learn anything further.