Jeff Kaplan confirms Havana as payload map, hints at new heroes

Olivia Richman Published 18/04/2019

Jeff Kaplan has confirmed that Havana will be Overwatch’s next map. 

In a live stream from Blizzard Entertainment headquarters hosted on Facbook, Overwatch’s lead director Jeff Kaplan stated that Havana will be on the Public Test Realm “very soon.” Before it goes to the PTR, developers are working on alterations to the map’s time of day and weather. 

“We were so excited to make Havana. It was one of the maps we wanted to create from the get-go,” Kaplan said. 

Thanks to Overwatch’s new Storm Rising co-op event taking place on Havana, many gamers had already theorized that this would be the next new map. Many fans also figured it would be a payload map, due to its similarity in layout to other payload maps. There are three distinct areas to travel through: The bright cityscape of Havana, a rum factory, and a seaside castle. 

But this wasn’t the only thing Kaplan discussed in the live stream. 

Storm Rising didn’t just include a new map. It also brought along a new cast of characters, including Sojourn, a former Overwatch member who put together the Tracer-led strike team against Doomfist’s accountant Maximillien. 

She is also a confirmed coffee person. 

“Sojourn is a very important character. I’m really excited for our players to learn more about her. They’ll definitely see more Sojourn in the future,” Kaplan said. 

Sojourn was first teased in Winston’s “Recall” short. She was briefly featured along with many other unrecognizable characters. Kaplan confirmed that while some of these people are fillers, some are definitely potential heroes. 

But Sojourn will not be the next hero, Kaplan clairified. And neither will Echo. This has been a long-time fan theory after Echo was seen being transported in a military freight train in McCree’s recent short, “Reunion.” The train was derailed by the Deadlock Gang, but the reformred cowboy stopped them in their tracks before reactivating her. 

McCree then told Echo that she was the one that Overwatch needed. And while that may be, Overwatch players won’t be getting her any time soon.

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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