‘Overwatch’ Updates With New Oasis Map On PC, PlayStation 4, And Xbox One
With the Winter Wonderland event wrapped up, Overwatch updated today with a new map. Players across all platforms can now find their heroes battling on the Oasis map where they must dominate certain key locations in order to win. The new control map is available now in normal rotations, custom maps, and via the Arcade mode.
Players can specifically seek out the new Oasis map by selecting the Arcade mode in Overwatch. The featured Arcade option right now is “Welcome to Oasis” where the map is always Oasis. This option replaced the Mei’s Snow Brawl Offensive which was available for a limited time during the holiday event. Trying out the new map in Arcade is a great way to earn a few extra loot boxes, too. Each week, players can earn up to three extra loot boxes from winning matches in the Arcade mode.
Players can download the new update right now to start playing on the new Oasis map. The patch notes, as seen on Battle.net, indicate that no other changes were part of the update. Only the new map is included in the patch. A brief lore-based description of Oasis is provided on the official website.
“Oasis is one of the world’s most advanced cities, a shining jewel rising from the Arabian Desert. A monument to human ingenuity and invention, researchers and academics from around the region came together to found a city dedicated to scientific progress without restraints. The city and its inhabitants are governed by the Ministries, a collection of brilliant minds who possess many secrets, which have attracted the interest of powerful organizations from around the world.”
Although no other patch notes are included, many players will notice a few different voice lines for their heroes. Many heroes now comment on their New Year’s resolutions like Pharah stating she is going to take some time off. Another example is D.Va saying she wants to catch up on the games she has yet to finish in the New Year. Most, if not all heroes, comment on their plans for the year after today’s update.
The update today also concluded the Winter Wonderland event. Players that earned Winter Wonderland boxes during the event can still open them, but any new boxes earned will be normal loot boxes. Items unique to the Winter Wonderland event can no longer be purchased for credits. As the Inquisitr reported, over 100 new items were added for the holiday event including Santa suits, a legendary Zarya emote, and much more. Like all event items, obtained items are always available so heroes can don their holiday best throughout the year. The event-exclusive items will not be available to loot again until the specific event returns, though.
Want a vacation?
Jump into the game and travel to Oasis—a new Control map now available on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One! ??? pic.twitter.com/zGRQkxX0KW
— Overwatch (@PlayOverwatch) January 3, 2017
Although Overwatch has not even celebrated an anniversary yet, the game continues to update with new heroes, new maps, and new cosmetics. Each event that rolls around gives players a chance to pick up new customization options like skins, taunts, introductions, emotes, and voice lines. The Summer Games, Overwatch Halloween Terror, and Winter Wonderland all introduced new items. Since its release in May 2016, the first-person shooter has also welcomed the debut of the Ana and Sombra heroes. Now the Oasis map joins the Eichenwalde map as a post-release addition. When Eichenwalde released, a few new skins for Reinhardt also debuted, but no new skins were released alongside Oasis.
Play of the Game improvements, new heroes, and achievements/trophies in the No Limits mode are possibly coming in 2017. As the game continues to update and the developers continue to communicate with the playerbase, many upcoming features and ideas in progress are potential additions to the game. As detailed on PCGamesN.com, several features are in development for Overwatch like highlight saving, changes to custom games, and more.
[Image by Blizzard Entertainment]
