The maps in Overwatch take inspiration from their real-life counterparts, with the developers often including even the smallest details to make the locations feel like futuristic versions of their present-day states. Most of the time, players will be so focused on a match that these little details fly over their heads as not having much importance other than for aesthetics.
For Reddit user u/DanWilks12, a little added touch on a map went a long way. While playing on Rialto, a map based on the real-world location in Italy, this player found themselves in the sights of an enemy Roadhog as Torbjörn. What they expected to be imminent death after being dragged into the canal resulted in help from an unexpected passerby.
In the canal that runs through the center of the Rialto map after the first point, there’s an omic-controlled gondola that sails through the water without any passengers. What most players don’t know is that they can stand on the gondola as it glides by, which is exactly what saved u/DanWilks12 and simultaneously ruined the day of the Roadhog who sought to hook him to his doom.
By using the boats stationed on the side of the street, this player was able to successfully hop back into the battle with his ultimate fully charged. Now behind the enemy team without them realizing it, they used Torbjörn’s ultimate to spray lava at every escape point, dying but gaining a triple kill in the process.
It may have been an unexpected turn of events for this player, but little touches like this display the attention to detail that the Overwatch development team had in creating these maps. Though not every detail can save a life like this, they’re certainly worth discovering.
