​Overwatch needs heroes, not maps.





The primary selling point of Overwatch is its cast of playable characters. The colorful, diverse range of heroes draw player interest and add variety and strategy to the gameplay, as well as providing opportunities to tell new stories: a big part of Overwatch's popularity.





Overwatch has seen nine new heroes added in the three years since the game's release in 2016, the most recent being Baptiste who brought the number up to 30. Each hero roused much fan attention and became critical parts of different metagames and strategies.





In terms of maps, Overwatch currently has 20 maps in the competitive rotation, with eight added since release the most recent being Paris. There are also a variety of non-standard maps for Arcade modes.





The typical release schedule sees a hero and a map alternate in releases every two months or so, with three heroes and three maps added in a year.





This is, speaking bluntly, bad for the game's health.

This combat medic is no angel of mercy.



Play Baptiste now on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One!



Learn more @ https://t.co/XhKgOJYrcv pic.twitter.com/cbxOchlfs3 — Overwatch (@PlayOverwatch) March 19, 2019

It is no secret that Overwatch has been facing difficulties and declining player interest. Part of this is the trickle of attractive content, with a painfully lacking update schedule.





A higher rate of hero releases would generate much more interest and passion, rekindling the fog of apathy that has permeated through Overwatch's player base. It would also help the game's longevity by providing a larger variety of options for players to explore for both fun play as well as deeper strategy.





More heroes would require a redistribution of resources, and the first place which could do with less attention are the maps.





In multiplayer shooters like the Call of Duty franchise which don't have the draw of charismatic characters, maps are often used as a reliable method of expanding content. However, as established, this is unnecessary from a business perspective since Overwatch can field new playable heroes.





Further, new maps rarely generate hype in the same way new characters do. While they may turn heads as locals of the represented region express interest, they don't tend to generate lasting fervor. They don't typically add much even to the game's lore that a new hero couldn't, since their nature as battlegrounds make them bereft of life and little more than backdrops to the action.

Bon voyage! 



Your journey to Paris begins NOW on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. pic.twitter.com/gwPjjbjRP6 — Overwatch (@PlayOverwatch) February 19, 2019

Additionally, the maps typically tend to be unpopular and feature wonky design. Eichenwalde, Horizon: Lunar Colony and Blizzard World required significant updates post-release in order to make them more balanced. Junkertown is one of the most non-standard maps in the pool. Oasis features significant balance issues on its Gardens stage and Busan has the much-detested retracting walls on its MEKA Base stage. Rialto gained infamy due to its heavy favoritism towards the defensive side, particularly on the so-called "death corner" at its second point. Paris has yet to see significant competitive play, but early signs indicate that players find it unsatisfying.





Finally, the maps are actively harmful to the competitive spirit of the game. Overwatch has one of the most bloated map pools in all of competitive multiplayer games, be they shooters or MOBAs. Not only are players expected to play on all maps with no method of filtering to their favorites, but they are also expected to play all modes despite the vastly differing requirements that each gameplay mode presents.

Lots of changes coming in #OWL2019 Stage 2, including Baptiste’s debut, a slew of hero changes, the Paris map, and a new map order.https://t.co/VypWtCVFBZ pic.twitter.com/zocFBOKSeE — Overwatch League (@overwatchleague) March 19, 2019

The Overwatch League has pinched it down some, but its constantly rotating map pool results in a different issue in which teams' Stages can be affected by which of their favored maps are in the pool, as well as an overall issue in which teams have no opportunity to specialize on maps or utilize a pick-ban to allow tactical depth.





Maps offer little to the Overwatch experience and often only worsen it. Heroes are the primary attraction and provide everything from lore to gameplay to fan engagement.





It's a fairly easy equation to solve.





Images courtesy of Blizzard Entertainment.