Overwatch’s Archives event may be over, but players can still enjoy roaming the streets of Venice, Italy on the new payload map, Rialto, which will be added to the game’s live server May 3. The new map has been in testing on Overwatch’s PTR since April 19, though this version is slightly different than the one seen in Retribution.
Rialto will be playable on PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, but will stay out of the Competitive Play map pool “until a future patch,” according to Blizzard. Until then, players can experience the map in Arcade, Quick Play and custom games. Blizzard gave no clues about when Rialto would be added to Competitive Play.
Players who read the Doomfist Masquerade Comic might recognize the map’s backdrop, too, since the comic was set at the Talon headquarters.
In addition to Rialto’s release, Season 10 of Overwatch’s Competitive Play queue also went live this week, bringing the newest support hero with it.
A new rule in Overwatch disabled Brigitte from Competitive Play throughout Season Nine as a way to give the competitive seasons their own distinct feels, according to Overwatch developer Geoff Goodman.
Brigitte’s delayed competitive debut also gave players a chance to get a good feel for the new hero’s mechanics and play style. However, fans weren’t particularly pleased about having to wait, and Overwatch game director Jeff Kaplan has said Blizzard is listening to player feedback about new heroes in Competitive Play.
“We’re following this feedback closely,” Kaplan wrote. “We made this change with the best intentions as we frequently heard complaints from players that we were introducing new heroes to Competitive Play too quickly.”
It’s all about balance and, of course, you can’t always please everyone. But hopefully Blizzard will be able to find that sweet spot between launching a new hero into Competitive Play too soon and making players wait an entire season to use a new hero.
Season Nine rewards remain the same and are as follows:
- 65 competitive points for ending in Bronze
- 125 competitive points for ending in Silver
- 250 competitive points for ending in Gold
- 500 competitive points for ending in Platinum
- 750 competitive points for ending in Diamond
- 1,200 competitive points for ending in Master
- 1,750 competitive points for ending in Grandmaster
So even though Overwatch’s Archives event has closed and the Retribution and Uprising brawls have been locked away until next year, players still have a lot to look forward this competitive season. Be sure to hit the streets of Venice when Rialto releases later this week.