The Wonderful Blizzard World - Hearthstone Gets Featured in the Latest Overwatch Map
Overwatch received a new update earlier today which included a brand new map in the rotation which was debuted at BlizzCon last year, Blizzard World. The map is what the Overwatch Team thinks of when they consider what a Blizzard theme park would look like. All of Blizzard's franchises are present on the map and for any Blizzard fan, it's truly epic.
Since we're more about Hearthstone than anything else, we're just going to be showcasing much of the Hearthstone features within the map, though some are also shared with the Warcraft universe. So, what does Hearthstone have in Blizzard World?
- The Hearthstone Tavern - This is where the attackers spawn and there are plenty of objects to mess around with.
- Snaxxramas - A food shop equipped with some very interesting looking meaty legs. Whatup Curse of Naxxramas!
- DEATH WINGS - NEW! These chicken pieces will set your mouth alight.
- The Hellscream - Garrosh's rollercoaster. Can you survive?
- Khadgar's Herbs - Not accessible, but maybe that's a good thing?
- Statues - Alleria Windrunner and Khadgar have their own statues near the Hearthstone Tavern.
- Hearthstone Boards - Objects you can flip and see fireworks w/ victory sound effects.
- Blackrock Mountain - A roller coaster seen on a poster within the Hearthstone Tavern.
Ultimately, the map is amazing and if you have Overwatch you should definitely login to check it out. If you get near the hearth within the tavern you can hear some very familiar music. There's also a treasure chest near the hearth which spits out coins if you attack it.
SNAXX OUT!
To celebrate the new Overwatch map, Blizzard World, which features plenty of Hearthstone goodness, we've decided to host a special card design competition to let your creative juices flow. This is outside of our normal card design competition so look forward to another one of those later this week. If you're interested in entering, our criteria for cards is quite simple!
- Your card must be a minion, spell or weapon
- Your card must represent or allude to a character from another Blizzard IP besides Hearthstone and World of Warcraft
You can enter the competition by reading the rules and responding to our SNAXX OUT Submission thread. If you want to discuss entries from competitors, we've got a dedicated discussion thread. GOOD LUCK, HEROES!
Overwatch Questions
While we're on the subject of Overwatch, we'd love to ask you a few questions about the game.
I find Overwatch fun and a fine playing experience. The thing is, I have next to zero cares about cosmetics. If gameplay equipment was locked in lootboxes then I'd be mad (SEE: HEARTHSTONE), but Overwatch is the closest to a F2P experience you'll get in the latest single purchase titles. The list of rotating events keeps the game fresh, and you've still got custom gamemodes that act as their own PvE experiences. The devs want to focus you on Comp games and quick play, which is fine as it stands even though I haven't played either for a while. I understand the hate for OWL, and for the cosmetics, but I just think of it as you don't really need those anyway... You hardly ever see your skin unless you emote or you die... New content for the game comes out all the time, and with how many heroes there are they have to take the time to balance their maps. It's a genuinely impressive game. Sure some heroes have bugs, but at least the devs listen to what bugs there are and then take the time to fix them when they're brought to their attention.
You have to remember that the developer team has to get paid, even though the vast majority of the money that has been spent on the game has already been spent— the one time purchases for the game itself. Lootboxes, limited-time events, and OWL skins incentivize real money spending, but you don't need to... and I never want to anyway. The skins are always coming back next year anyway lol.
That last paragraph is ripe with opinion, so again I'm not looking to respond outside of "let's agree to disagree." However, I will note that Overwatch was touted as a First-Persona MOBA: that's what it was supposed to be from the get-go, so the fact that it "feels" like it seems pretty logical to me.
As for the final comment - "because it's Blizzard, and they can do no harm right?" - I'll point directly at Diablo III's original Auction House. It was an absolutely awful idea, terribly designed and shackled actual gameplay to a Pay-to-Win system. The playerbase despised it, we revolted against Blizzard, and Blizzard tore it down. Since then, Diablo III has significantly improved across the board, and has become a thoroughly enjoyable experience. Blizzard can do wrong, and some of us who defend it are not just slavishly bending over and taking it like good little drones. I don't agree with what you said, and I stand by OW and Blizzard, but that's doesn't make my opinions somehow tainted or lesser. So you can chill with such remarks. I was asking out of curiosity; not to throw stones.
SNAXX IS OUT TUO SI XXANS
i'd play it if it was on mac.