Overwatch 2 devs plan to make changes to every returning map—but they promise not to go overboard

While players are discovering every nook and cranny from the new maps introduced to Overwatch 2, some changes are going to be introduced to older ones in the future, according to the developers.

In a Twitter space on Dec. 12, lead level designer Ryan Smith revealed that every map set to return to the game’s pool when a new season launches will feature at least one change.

While some maps will only feature graphic adjustments, others will offer new ways of playing around them. These will be adjusted to balance the maps better and adapt them to the changes made to Overwatch 2 (especially the five-vs-five change).

Related: All maps available in Overwatch 2

With Overwatch 2, Blizzard Entertainment introduced a map rotation feature to the game. Every season brings a different array of maps players can play to bring “excitement” when returning to maps that were gone for months.

In addition, every map that returns to the game’s pool will have at least one update for players to look forward to.

This includes a change to the weather, which has already been the case for a few maps in seasons one and two, switching from day to nighttime.

But some of them will have more tweaks, such as changing covers. They will be adjusted when the developers “feel it’s needed,” to keep the game fresh and to adapt the map for five-vs-five matchups (instead of six-vs-six in the first title), according to Ryan Smith.

He added that Blizzard isn’t bringing changes just “for the sake of change” but to improve the map’s balancing. He quoted changes that were made to Eichenwalde’s first attack choke point, which was changed to add another path on the left to make it easier to push through as an example.

Meanwhile, some maps have already received lighting changes when returning to Overwatch 2 in the season two. Here is the list of maps that are back in the rotation pool.