As a hero shooter, it seems unlikely that Overwatch will ever become a battle royale game, as its systems are not built to fit that style. However, if the unlikely happened and Blizzard did experiment with a battle royale spin-off, the San Francisco Shock has given Overwatch fans an idea of what a map could look like.
Perhaps the biggest thing killing the potential of an Overwatch battle royale game is the fact that heroes are built around their weaponry. While the ever-popular Apex Legends features characters with unique abilities, none have signature weapons, and all can wield the full lineup of the game’s guns. While it would not be impossible for Blizzard to separate the weapons from their characters, it is unlikely, meaning that gamers should not expect an Overwatch battle royale game to ever happen for real.
However, while it may never happen, it is still fun to speculate about what the hypothetical game could look like if it ever became a reality. Recently, the San Francisco Shock, an Overwatch League team, Tweeted out an image of an Overwatch-themed battle royale map. The map in question merges six popular Overwatch maps into a single play space, with the San Francisco Shock’s suggested map featuring some locations that are extremely different from one another when it comes to their visuals.
Despite the locations being set in very different parts of the world, like Egypt and the United States, it is hard not to think of how fun it would be to walk from one Overwatch map to the next. The suggested map connects Oasis to Numbani, with the two visually stunning locations having a similar enough tone despite their different architecture and color patterns. Another good pairing sees Hollywood and Blizzard world brought together, which is undoubtedly the most logical connection on the map. Dorado is seen at the bottom of the amalgamation, with Anubis placed on top.
If these locations were combined, it would be interesting to see how Blizzard would handle their lighting. As shown in the hypothetical battle royale map, Dorado is still set at night, which could lead to a jarring time of day change for gamers moving into Numbani or Blizzard World. Regardless, Overwatch fans were quick to share where they would land if a battle royale was real, with all the locations getting some support. Some commenters also suggested potential additions to the map, like the beloved King’s Row.
While a battle royale game is highly unlikely, at least fans will have a new experience to look forward to with Overwatch 2’s PvE campaign. For those who cannot get enough of the battle royale genre, though, maps like this are a good way to imagine what one based on Overwatch could look like.
Overwatch is available now on PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.
