“#Overwatch” has become one of the most popular games since its release for its addictive gameplay, unique cast of characters, and its take on real-life inspired settings. The game contains various maps like Hanamura and Numbani which are based on places like Japan and China respectively. Players also travel to movie sets, a military base, and even temples in the game. Recently, the game has just gotten the Horizon Lunar Colony map which is placed on the moon.
While nothing may seem impossible for “Overwatch”, Blizzard has stated that they will not delve into underwater maps. Unfortunately, the heroes of the game will not be swimming anytime soon which may come off as a disappointment to some fans. While players have already experienced some new gimmicks like low gravity and jump pads, they will not be seeing their characters fighting in any "#underwater" stages.
'Overwatch' Underwater Map is a No Go
Blizzard recently explains the main reason why they will not be including any water-themed maps soon on the game’s official forums. Game Director Jeff Kaplan stated that while the immersion is great, the “moment to moment gameplay” would feel extremely gimmicky and underwhelming.
While other shooters like "PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds" and "Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare" feature swimming mechanics, it seems unlikely that the “Overwatch” heroes will experience this due to the sheer effort it requires.
Water and swimming provide a whole new level of complexity to the game’s animation processes. The water would not only slow down the heroes but also require a completely new set of animations to go with it. While the Horizon Lunar Colony might give off the same effect with its low gravity, Blizzard did not need to change how the animation works.
The Issue With Water-Themed Maps
In fact, Kaplan even said that all of the animation is done by hand. If they added swimming or underwater combat, each character would have to go through intense animation work for the base locomotion and their abilities as well.
Because of this, they would have less animation done in other parts of the game like highlight intros or emotes.
However, the biggest downside to this would mean it would take them much longer to release new heroes. With this in mind, Blizzard might even release new events at a slower pace as they would have to focus on the animations for the said stage. Overall, adding water-themed maps in "Overwatch" would only slow down production on the other aspects of the game.