'Overwatch' Blizzard World Map Release Date Announced
Blizzard has announced the release date for the upcoming "Overwatch" map "Blizzard World." The theme park-style map will be arriving next week after months of being available in the game's Public Test Region.
Announced by the developer all the way back at BlizzCon 2017 in November, the map was set to be released in early 2018. As the name suggests, the map pays homage to Blizzard's other franchises, "World of Warcraft" and "Heroes of the Storm."
The map is a hybrid Assault/Escort map and includes distinct locations such as Stormwind from WoW, the Nexus from HotS and more. According to Blizzard, the "Blizzard World" map on Jan. 23 and given that Tuesday is a typical patch day for "Overwatch," it's very likely that a few other changes will arrive in the game alongside the new map.
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These changes could include a nerf to Mercy's ult and Junkrat's Concussion Mine. Blizzard has been testing these changes for a while and could be added to live servers on the same day.
Twitch recently bought the exclusive rights to livestream the Overwatch League's first two seasons for a reported $90 million. In a recent press release, Blizzard described the deal as "historic", saying that it ensured "that every match of the world's first major global city-based esports league will be readily available to fans across the globe."
With the exception of China, Twitch will be the exclusive streaming partner of the League, presenting every match in English, Korean and French. Viewers will also be able to earn rewards for watching, including in-game items.
According to SportsBusinessDaily, the $90 million deal may cover existing elements of Twitch and Activision-Blizzard's relationship beyond "Overwatch League." These include esports tournaments held by other Blizzard titles namely "Starcraft 2" and "Heroes of the Storm."
"Overwatch" is currently available for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Microsoft Window.
