Three New Overwatch Maps "Likely" Coming This Year

Since Overwatch's release 11 months ago, the game has only seen the release of two new standard maps, meaning those used in Quick Play and Competitive Play modes. You can expect to see even more than that over the remainder of 2017.

In response to a forum thread discussing the frequency of new map releases, Overwatch director Jeff Kaplan revealed that three standard maps are in development and are "past the initial playtesting phase." He added, "While something could always change, all three of those are looking likely for a release this year."

Kaplan also noted that three "non-standard" maps are in development, but he didn't comment on how far along they are or whether we'll see any of them this year. These maps aren't intended for Quick Play or Competitive Play, which could mean they're intended for Arcade modes, as was the case with the Arena mode-only Ecopoint Antarctica.

Finally, in very nonspecific fashion, he teased, "We also have a few other experiments going on."

"Hopefully this will satisfy some of what you're looking for," he concluded. "We want to play on these maps as badly as you guys do. We'll work as fast as we can!"

Overwatch is currently in the midst of its latest limited-time seasonal event, Uprising. Along with new cosmetics, this features a special PvE mode not entirely unlike the one released for Halloween.

Prior to Uprising, the most recent big update added Orisa, a Tank-class character. The next character has not yet been announced, but Doomfist remains the target of much speculation.