Breaking: Exclusive Update on Overwatch 2's Midtown Map - Find out Why It's Temporarily Disabled!

Highlights

The Midtown map in Overwatch 2 has been temporarily removed due to undisclosed issues, and there is no timeframe for its return.

The map is set in New York City, beginning at an NYC firehouse capture point before transitioning into a payload path if captured. However, the hybrid map, based on New York City, has been temporarily removed from Overwatch 2's map pool due to undisclosed issues. Overwatch 2 recently launched its sixth season, introducing the highly anticipated Flashpoint game mode, PvE missions, Hero Mastery missions, and a new support hero from Peru named Illari.

Midtown, introduced in the October 2022 launch of Overwatch 2, quickly became popular for its setting in New York City. Alongside three new heroes and other new maps, Midtown stands out for its hybrid gameplay. The map begins with a capture point at an NYC firehouse, and if captured, transitions into a payload path where the attacking team must escort a firetruck payload through the city streets to Grand Central Terminal to win.

However, in Season 6 of Overwatch 2, Midtown has been temporarily removed from the map rotation. The official Overwatch 2 forum acknowledged this issue, stating that the Manhattan-based map will be disabled while the team investigates a problem. There is currently no timeframe for when the map will be available again, as mentioned on Twitter by Overwatch Cavalry.

The reason for the temporary removal of Midtown is unknown, but it could be due to the introduction of Illari, the newest hero in Overwatch 2. Although Illari is not an air-based hero like Pharah, Mercy, or Echo, she still possesses some mobility in her abilities, Outburst and Captive Sun, which could potentially cause issues with the map. Outburst allows Illari to leap in the direction she is moving, while Captive Sun launches her into the air for a better firing angle with her sun-like projectile. It is possible that these abilities, combined with assistance from heroes like Lucio, Lifeweaver, or Mercy, may allow players to gain unfair advantages on Midtown's map, but this is purely speculative.

While it is disappointing to witness the temporary disabling of Midtown, given the exciting permanent modes being introduced in Invasion alongside the new support hero, Illari, it may not be a significant blow for many fans. Some fans have expressed a desire for the return of Assault maps, which were removed during the launch of Overwatch 2. However, with the introduction of the capture-based Flashpoint mode in Season 6, it seems less likely. Fans of the Midtown map in Overwatch 2 may have to wait before learning when this NYC-based map will make its comeback.

Overwatch 2 is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.

Source: Blizzard