The Overwatch update that was supposed to land next week just dropped. It’s a biggie. Competitive mode season two has now officially kicked off, and a new map, Eichenwalde, is officially in the game.




Originally, Blizzard was planning to launch season two on September 6, but it’s here right now on PC and Xbox One, just in time for Labor Day weekend. Season two overhauls competitive in a big way, tossing sudden death in a dumpster, revamping the skill rating system, and adding tiers (Bronze, Silver, Gold, etc) to more concretely denote people’s skill levels.

Eichenwalde, meanwhile, is a map set in a German village. It’s got a distinct medieval vibe to it, but also there are dead robots scattered everywhere. Cheery! The map’s not as big as it looks in pictures, but it’s littered with hidden paths and clever nooks. I dig it.


This patch is also loaded with balance changes, the biggest of which nerf Genji (RIP) and Zenyatta and buff Mercy and Mei. A lot of heroes received slight tweaks, though, so don’t be surprised if you feel uncomfortable in your own virtual skin for a day or two.

Anyway, stop reading and go download it! Gosh, what are you? Some kind of hyper-intelligent, well-read gorilla?

(OK but seriously do you think Winston reads Kotaku)

((Asking for a friend))