Early concept art show just how different Overwatch maps could have been

Bill Cooney

Early footage from the game being tested shows just how much work developers had to put in to get the game we know and love today.

Overwatch’s maps, like its heroes, went through several iterations as well during development before they became the stages played on everyone from bronze players to Overwatch League pros.

Blizzard EntertainmentThere are a few familiar faces among these early hero concepts for the game that would become Overwatch.[ad name=”article2″]

Maps that could have been

While they were still selling the game, Overwatch developers were set on making a game set in different locations all across the globe.

The early map concepts were definitely more varied than the original map offerings after Overwatch’s release in 2016, but the game has caught up with plenty of new maps since then.

The concepts aren’t in the “Overwatch style” familiar to players and fans, so some, like London and Berlin, eventually became King’s Row and Eichenwalde.

Some of the early ideas for maps, like “The Bayou” and “Galapagos” still look like they could inspire cool new maps for Overwatch in the future.

Blizzard EntertainmentKyoto probably became Hanamura, and Iron Star has the same giant robots as Volskaya.[ad name=”article3″]

New Overwatch map coming soon?

After being leaked weeks in advance, Blizzard finally dropped new hints that Overwatch could be getting a new map to go along with the “Storm Rising” Archives event that begins on April 16.

The hints seem to point to a new map located in Havana, Cuba, for the event, but whether the map will be 2CP, Escort, Hybrid or King of Hill/Control Point remains to be seen.

No matter what the new level is, it’s clear the Overwatch team isn’t going to run out of material for new maps anytime soon.

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About The Author

Bill is a former writer at Dexerto based in Iowa, who covered esports, gaming and online entertainment for more than two years. With the US team, Bill covered Overwatch, CSGO, Influencer culture, and everything in between.