Part of the draw to the FPS phenom that isOverwatchlies in its wealth of colorful, diverse maps. Much like the lineup of vastly differentheroes, each map comes with its own visual flair and layout. Almost every stage has a slew of corridors, chokepoints, pits, and other dynamic elements to make each playthrough distinct and interesting.
Yet, even though most of these 20-plus stages come with their own charm, there are certainly some that stand out quite a bit more than others. You’ve got the almost universally liked options like King’s Row and Illios, but you’ve also got some that tend to fall flat for a great manyOverwatchplayers.
RELATED:Overwatch: 10 Techniques To Gain XP Fast
The reasons for this vary; it may be an unappealing aesthetic, convoluted layout, or unsatisfactory design that hinders or restricts play in one facet or another. Whatever the reason, there are definitely some contenders as far as weak stages go.
Let’s take a look at what we feel to be the 10 worst stages overall.
10Busan
It was a difficult choice as to whether Paris or Busan should occupy this 10th spot, but the fact that Paris atleasthas a prettier, more fun aesthetic, it gets the nod over this similarly recent map addition.
The indoor segment, while not visually appealing,doescome with a few fun elements - mostly in the form of those moving obstructions on the point. Still, there is this weird clash between the narrow corridors and wide-open points that can feel jarring. The outdoor areas at least present a colorful visual, but the layout is similarly all over the place, not to mention uninspired. Trying to hold the point in the Downtown area can be a headache, as foes can pour in from a number of large entryways.
9Ecopoint: Antarctica
As far as Arcade-specific maps go, there are definitely more enjoyable options that Ecopoint: Antarctica, for a few reasons. Aside from sporting a pretty bland, icy atmosphere, the layout is also pretty convoluted. The webs of upper-level walkways, meshed with the sporadic indoor areas and outdoor portions just feel jarring.
You’ve got a number of dead ends that can quickly land you in a heap of trouble, and various nooks and crannies where players can (and often do) annoyingly hide from you. This level seems to invoke annoying cat-and-mouse games rather than exciting battles.
8Temple Of Anubis
Many Assault maps do a decent job of keeping things fairly even for both the attacking and defending team. Point A will often favor the offense, while B will sport a more closed-in area to favor the defense. Yet, the Temple of Anubis, despite its cool Egyptian themes, isn’t quite as fun to play as it is to gaze upon, and this mostly stems from its design, which heavily favors the defense.
RELATED:Overwatch: Ranking All 8 Tank Heroes
Not just one, butbothof the points are encased within a pretty enclosed region. This forces the offense into chokes that largely force an “all or nothing” commitment that often gets staved off by the opposition. Astute teams will make it work, but a fairly new team is going to have frequent struggles.
7Watchpoint: Gibraltar
Some might cry foul with this somewhat controversial choice - particularly those who fancy snipers. Obviously, with how expansive this place is, and given its slew of platforms on the high ground overlooking ground level, this is largely aWidowand Hanzo’s paradise.
Yet, one at least can’t deny the pretty bland industrial design of this open-ended map.
And for those at thereceivingend of snipers, especially heroes who aren’t too mobile and have zero hitscan, this stage can be an annoying nightmare. For instance, a more grounded healer like Moira may find themself having to switch to Mercy or Lucio in order to get around easier. Between the tough navigation and bland appearance, Watchpoint isn’t the bestOverwatchhas to offer.
6Horizon Lunar Colony
Poor Winston - this prominentOverwatchfigure isn’t just one of the weaker tanks as of this writing, but his home arena also happens to be one of the worst stages in the game.
Aside from the isolated area where you can (pointlessly) hover around in zero gravity on the moon, most of this stage is lacking any fun bells and whistles or other dynamic elements. Oh - there is a moving girder that seasoned players will sometimes camp, but beyond that, you’re essentially dealing with a handful of open square rooms and narrow entrances. So not only do you have an uninspiring design, but you also have those pesky bottlenecks yet again.
5Blizzard World
Ok, so you can at least make the argument that this is a pretty dense, colorful map aesthetically. Yet, this weird hodgepodge ofBlizzard-themed props is almosttoomuch. It’s a very “busy” layout that tends to get in the way of the actual gameplay, and it all feels a bit too “self-congratulatory” on the developers' part. So Blizzard properties exist in a Blizzard game? Sure… It all feels pretty gimmicky and forced.
And despite the visual bombast, the actual layout of this map leaves something to be desired. It’s all quite literally “straightforward,” and there’s little variance or depth that can allow for cheeky assaults or flanks.
4Necropolis
Like some others on our list, Necropolis suffers from a hodgepodge of clashing design elements. On the one hand, you’ve got these grand, open spaces that comprise the bulk of the map. On the other, there are narrow corridors and a smattering of small indoor spaces which can easily lead players into deadly traps. On top of this, you’ll have to skate around a large pit that is easy to fall into.
RELATED:Overwatch 2: 5 Things Blizzard Is Changing From The First Game (& 5 Things Remaining The Same)
Take these factors amidst the chaos of battles, especially with trigger-happy snipers perched upon the temple roofs, and you’ve got yourself a headache of an experience.
3Petra
The more nimble, mobile players may find this Deathmatch map at least suitable, but those that can’tfly, drift, or teleport around probably won’t have a ton of fun in these archaeological ruins.
Basically, this map encourages more mid-to-long range combat, which is only onefacet toOverwatch. The open areas and random design will have players wandering about quite a bit, as they wonder where they - or their opponents - are. It’s a bummer this is so mediocre, as it’s only one oftwoDeathmatch-exclusive maps, with the other being the more memorable Chateau Guillard.
2Numbani
Overwatchtends to do a decent job when it comes to the timing and location of most spawn points. Yet, this isn’t quite the case for Numbani, as yielding the first point sends you all the way to the back of the map, where you must engage in a long walk of shame to scramble back to your team.
Thus, this map is very much “all or nothing.” While point A can be fairly easy to hang onto, losing it will often cause a snowball effect of unsynchronized spawns and a generally flustered defense. This can allow the attacking team to steamroll a great distance with the payload; at least until a final chokepoint farther back. This imbalance is further emphasized by the abundance of balconies, which can make it tough to reach opponents and make real headway. That large, obstructing bus can also be rather annoying.
1Volskaya
This one pretty much checks off all the boxes when it comes to lame maps. You’ve got the uninspired aesthetic, the abundance of brutal chokepoints, a lack of dynamic elements, etc. Oh - youdohave a few mostly pointless elements like moving platforms which Torb and Bastion can take advantage of. And sure, you may get an occasional cheeky Orisa Halt! pull or Lucio boop to send players tumbling down pits.
But beyond this, there are few redeeming qualities to the boxy, industrial Volskaya, especially if you’re the offensive team trying to break through the myriad of bottlenecks.
