Just before the championship final of the Overwatch League 2023 season, the promised new map reveal of Samoa came to fruition with a friendly showmatch between analysts, casters, content creators, and Canadian OWL players.
The new Control map is joining the game on Oct. 10, with the launch of Season 7, and aims to bring another peek into the world of Overwatch through the chaotic game mode.
As per Control standard, there are three different points on the map that players can battle for, and the colors and vibes of Samoa are very much the opposite of the last Control map, Antarctic Peninsula. Vibrant, sunny, and very hot on one of the points, the antithesis to the ice-covered shivers that the previous map provides.
One of the points, the first played in the showmatch, is very reminiscent of the City Center section of Control map Oasis, though with a lot more potential high grounds and ranged options for players to spam point with. The third section on Samoa is similar to Busan’s MEKA Base, with a big section near the point that players can knock others off into their deaths.
Though it does look similar to other maps, the way that the structures are designed look similar to Hybrid map Numbani, with a mix of futuristic and natural, plenty of tall glass buildings but also grass and other greenery.
We didn’t necessarily see the best plays from the showmatch, with a lot of feeding coming from both sides. There were plenty of talented players on stage, with the standout performers being William “Crimzo” Hernandez on Team Jake and Dante “Danteh” Cruz on Team Reinforce. What fans will take from this are the new chokepoints and areas that players will get familiar with once they consistently get their hands on the new map starting Oct. 10.
