Gamescom 2016 is upon us in Cologne and many of the heavy hitters are gearing up to present players with the hottest news, previews, and reveals of what’s on the way. Blizzard recently hosted a stream giving a heads-up of what players would be seeing during the event and though it skimmed much, one of the most interesting bits offered was that Overwatch will be getting a new map centered around a German castle and village.
Located somewhere in the Black Forest, Eichenwald is a cozy and rustic German town centered around an imposing medieval-style castle. The map looks to be set up for an escort mission that will take attackers through the town, into the castle courtyard, and into its halls before arriving at a massive throne room. Every bit of the map features a wealth of the stylistic flair that Overwatch has become known for.
Perhaps the most interesting features of the map, as is usually the case with Overwatch, is the lore scattered about the map. Throughout the map, you can see broken down machines that look an awful lot like Bastion, covered in debris and rust. It’s hard to say whether these robots were the attackers or the defenders of whatever occurred. However, even more interesting is that a shot of the throne room showed not just more of these derelict machines, but an armored suit on the throne pretty much exactly like Reinhardt’s, save for having a few unique bits like a giant mace weapon and a very feathery cape.
Eichenwalde looks to be one of the most interesting maps we’ve seen yet with a considerable amount of tactical possibility. Furthermore, it will apparently be explored in deeper depth in an upcoming short featuring everyone’s favorite (or reviled) killer robot, Bastion. It will be rolling out for all players soon, but attendees of Gamescom will be able to demo the map before its release.
To get an in-depth look, check out the video below and to see exactly what Blizzard has planned for the rest of Gamescom, you can check out their spotlights and a schedule of events over at their Gamescom hub.
