Hanaoka map revealed at BlizzCon for new Overwatch 2 game mode

Olivia Richman Published 04/11/2023

Overwatch 2 revealed the upcoming Hanaoka map at BlizzCon 2023. Developers talked about the lore and design of the map during a panel, giving some interesting insight into what’s to come.

What type of map is Hanaoka?

Blizzard announced that a new game mode is coming to Overwatch 2 in 2024. Called Clash, this mode has five objectives that players must attempt to capture until one team gets all five.

Clash will be played on a new map inspired by Hanamura, known as Hanaoka. This map will actually take place in a “new section” of Hanamura, according to art director Peter Lee. The stage is still in progress.

Lee said that Hanamura was inspired by his own trip to Japan. He got “obsessed” with a mom-and-pop store in a back alley and started wondering about creating a map with that area’s vibe. Unfortunately, the map was removed from Overwatch 2 since 2CP was removed entirely.

But Hanamura had a lot of importance to many Overwatch characters, so developers are excited to bring it back for Clash mode.

Hanaoka lore in Overwatch 2

Hanaoka is actually a street that’s right near the original location of Hanamura. You’ll even see some areas of Hanamura in the background, including the Rikimaru ramen shop.

“During this process, we also made a few new assets that can hint at those stories,” Lee said. “You have the Shimada clan and the Hashimoto clan and also Kiriko’s Yōkai group and many others.”

This includes a mural of a tiger and dragon. The tiger represents the Hashimoto clan and the dragon represents the Shimada clan, two clans that clashed in Overwatch’s lore. The Hashimoto clan killed Hanzo and Genji’s father since he was the leader of the Shimada clan.

Olivia Richman

About Olivia Richman

Olivia has worked in media ever since graduating from college, with her coverage ranging from traditional newspaper reporting to digital coverage of all things gaming, online betting, and nerd culture. She has traveled around the world pursuing that coverage, from the far coasts of the United States to the busy downtown core of Tokyo, Japan. Olivia’s favorite games include Overwatch and Super Smash Smash Bros, and she has been published at Esports Illustrated, Inven Global, EsportsInsider, Upcomer, and elsewhere.

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