Capitol City Splits in Two

Capitol City was the biggest POI in Season 3, getting the most action right out of the ship. By sending the fissure straight through Capitol City and creating some dead space in between (swallowing up one of the construction buildings as well), we essentially split this area into two separate zones for players to land in and loot: Fragment East and Fragment West.

The large fissure can only be crossed in two locations (a zipline, or a fallen skyscraper bridge). This allows teams some breathing room to control one side after the drop, reducing the risk of running into 3rd parties from the other side of the city. Is the construction site too hot for you? Land in Fragment East and use a Wattson or a Caustic to control the choke points for extra security. Of course, Pathfinder and Octane can both use their ultimates to get their teams across at any location.

The Updraft

The original design of the new fissure had players drop to their death if they had the misfortune of missing a jump. We wanted this gap to matter - for players to fight across and control the bridges as the only way across. This let certain Legends shine (Pathfinder / Octane for crossing, Caustic / Wattson for defending) and created some intense firefights when the ring was approaching. The problem was, a fatal fall felt too punishing. The last thing we wanted was players avoiding the new map changes because they had an unfair experience.

Now, if you jump into the fissure that cuts through Capitol City you’ll slowly be carried back up from the heated, pressurized air, and allowed to coast across and land on the other side. This is balanced by two things. First, you take 25 damage from the intense heat and embers floating inside. This is a consistent amount of damage every time you drop back down. Second, you travel very slowly, in third person, while moving in the updraft. You are essentially a flying loot piñata for any nearby enemy players.

Competitive integrity is always a big factor while designing new features, and our main concern with this feature was allowing players to escape fights they are losing by sliding into the fissure and sailing away. We think the damage and slow rise make players respect the gap while in a firefight, while, in calmer moments, allowing players to have fun and experiment with this new space without the risk of immediate death.