Ecopoint: Antarctica is now live on “Overwatch” Public Test Realm. The map is based on the latest animated short titled "Rise and Shine" that featured Mei and her backstory. The video was launched by Blizzard during Gamescom 2017 at Cologne, Germany.
Live on PTR
Aside from the changes on Mercy and D.Va that have been making headlines today, the place where Mei is located in the latest animated short is now also live in the “Overwatch” Public Test Realm. Dubbed as Ecopoint: Antarctica map, players can now give it a try at the PTR.
Rise and Shine
The latest animated short titled Rise and Shine is overflowing with different emotions.
The trailer show fans the backstory of one of the fan-favorite characters in the game. We saw Mei the day she entered the cryo-sleep chamber because an ice storm is coming. We saw her wake up and her routine and later realizing that she is the only one left among the crew after a nine-year cryo-sleep. We marvel with her as she uncovers what happened to the world in the past nine years while she was sleeping.
We explore the station with her as she looks for the materials that she can use to create the solution she has in mind. Convoyed by her loyal and cute companion, Snowball, fans saw the heroine do her best to arise in the situation so as to not put her team mates’ death in vain. We saw her design her blaster and mourn with her when Snowball sacrificed its remaining battery so she could get the blaster done and reach the top of the tower.
Mei successfully achieves her goals and is able to retrieve communication in a form of a video from Winston. We saw her leave the station and explore the world with Snowball charged by a solar cell. She left her station and players are left to explore it with the Ecopoint: Antarctica map now live in the PTR.
Release date and other details
The map is now live on the game’s Public Test Realm and it will be released along with the changes made to D.Va, Mercy, and Reinhardt. The animated short aside from showing and narrating Mei’s backstory has several references to the game and Easter Eggs dispersed all throughout the station. I have made an article about this that could in a way help the players with the map.
With a lot of things now in “Overwatch” Public Test Realm, it appears that the Ecopoint: Antarctica map will stay there longer since Blizzard will have to resolve whatever issues or feedback it will get from players. Meanwhile, you can check out the latest animated short from Blizzard below.
