Hello, r/Overwatch!
On Wednesday, July 15, from 11:00am to 12:00pm PT, the Overwatch level design team will be here to answer all your questions about the design of our latest Hybrid map, Neon Junction. While you've hopefully been avoiding the high-speed environmental hazard in your matches, this is one train you won't want to miss if you'd like a peek behind the theater curtains on our map design process!
From the Overwatch level design team, we have:
And from the community team:
Post your questions below, upvote questions that you'd like to see answered, and we'll be back to answer questions this coming Wednesday, July 15, at 11am PT.
See you then, heroes!
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View in your timezone: [on Wednesday, July 15, at 11am PT][1] [1]: https://timee.io/20260715T1800?tl=AMA+with+the+Overwatch+level+design+team+%E2%80%93+We%27ll+be+here+to+answer+questions+about+Neon+Junction+on+Wednesday%2C+July+15%2C+at+11am+PT%21
Are there triggers for the train or is it a randomized event?
As a JPC main, this is a must know
You have just unintentionally summarized the Seattle Light Rail system
I heard it's like 20/30 seconds
Pretty sure its just 20 second intervals. I was looking through some game recordings and every time i fast forward 20 secs there would be a train
What led you guys adding the train hazard on the map? Is there any data on how many kills its gotten so far?
I have a lot of questions! First of all, how dare you
was adding a unique hazard like the train something that people wanted to try at blizz? when it comes to environmental hazards, getting booped off map is common, but adding a non consistent threat is a very fun idea, and is fun to watch happen. i know these questions aren’t supposed to be about future maps, but has the reception to this idea been positive enough to implement in more maps? and if the sentiment has been negative, are you guys opposed to removing it?
For u/Blizz_Ren, what is a worldbuilding detail on the map that you feel has been overlooked by the playerbase?
I would like to know if there are any plans to make the train more useful in eliminating the other team? Like maybe some random teleporters that accidently drop you on the tracks right before the train arrives?
While not identical, there seems to be some significant similarities between Neon Junction and Kings Row. Was this by design or just a coincidence?
Idk about significant , but of course there are some simularities! That's with every map you will find similar things as in others! The only real simularity I see is on offense, Past the first choke and even there has mild simularities! People keep saying its mirrored but nobody wanna take both maps and super impose them on each other to see for sure.. Do that and you will see each map is unique in its own way! Kings Row doesn't even have any inclines throughout the middle area, Don't see any inclines until the final point!
Neon Junction’s 2nd point is my favorite amongst hybrid maps. It’s a relatively flat section so Ground based heroes can play well but it isn’t narrow and congested like other maps. Was this a planned design choice from the beginning or something that occurred as you were building the Map?
What happened to the three hero reworks??
What's an example of design philosophy that has changed (if anything) over the last 5ish years of designing maps? Additionally, do you guys have an expectation of how certain heroes interact with jumps or gaps when designing maps? (Like Winston should be able to clear this jump and junk rat shouldn't be able to)
Maybe sub section of 5ish years; how did going 5v5 from 6v6 impacted on level design.
How do you balance an active hazard like the train so it feels like a tactical element teams can play around, rather than a frustrating or RNG-heavy way to die during a team fight? Were there any wacky iterations of this hazard during testing?
Not a question directly about Neon Junction, but have you ever considered some form of reverse Hybrid mode? Where you'd push a payload through 2 points, and then have to catch a point at the end? I always thought it could be a fun way to shake things up without adding a completely new mode.
Echenwalde shouldve been like this from the start
Any plans to add special respawn or reaction voicelines after getting eliminated by the train or bees or watching someone else get eliminated by either?
How did the team land on the themeing for Neon Junction? Was the year long story beat with Shion and Mizuki already in development for you guys to decide on a Japanese map? And what were the design goals for map, were there any challenges there in bringing something new to the game from both a theme and gameplay standpoint?
What’s the story behind the map? For example in junkertown we’re trying to escort the payload with gold on it cos of junkrat.
And in kings row we're escorting a emp bomb
Some maps seem to have windows, but once inside they are not there. This is also the case for the latest map. Is this accidental or on purpose? If accidental: why does this keep happening and is there a protocol to avoid this?
The last 2 map related things have had Random occurrences happen (Antarctica Freeze) and (Neon Junction Train), will this be a running trend for all New maps/reworked maps going forward?
is the map actually shorter than other hybrid maps, or does it just feel like it?
are you planning on making adjustments to the map based on community feedback? (for example how third point is very narrow and hard to traverse for both sides)
LOVE the map, one of the best in the game.
may i ask, what will the map release frequency be looking like starting from RoT? I know we'll get Iceland during RoT along with NJ, but now that we are getting a hero every season, will it become more frequent or is two a year thhe standard alongside 5-6 heroes?
finally, can you critique my map concept i did? ever thought of making a melbourne AU map?
How much thought and debate went into adding that train at the top, I know it’s sort of similar to the traffic in Oasis, but that train location seems like such a pivotal high point of the map , that adding that environmental elimination seems like it would be such a feature that might have got some push back
How was the map approached from the perspective of lane design, and was there an active effort to avoid one side of the map be the clearly best angle in most situations? A core design choice we see in Overwatch maps is that they (mostly) have 3 lanes: Main and a flank route on each side of main. An example could be first point on Route 66 where we have the road as main, the gas station to the right (from attacker's pov) and the highground on the left (again from attacker's pov). When maps have 3 clear lanes they often play the best. When a map only has 1 or 2 lanes to play from you feel frustratingly limited in how you can play the map. This is what we see on a lot of payload and hybrid maps such as Paraíso first point where we just don't get 3 clearly-defined lanes.
kind of like cs, you have your 3 lane maps (d2, mirage, cache, ancient) but then your other maps (overpass, train) which play differently. imo it's good to have both but 3 lane maps will always be easier since you have more options
Is there a rework planned for the third point? It is currently abysmal
Probably not going to answer this one because it’s not about neon junction but are we going to get the Atlantic Arcology map?
Was it pre-determined that it would be a Hybrid map? How early in the design process is that established?
As someone studying Game Design, I wanted to ask which shortcut / flanking route is your favorite and how you got motivated to make it? My personal favorite is the path behind the statue at the start.
When will you remove sierra.
Will the next maps have more or less high ground vantage points. If so is this helping the defence or the attack.
Do you keep certain heroes in mind when designing levels to maybe influence the meta or account for known strategies?
Is the Atlantis map still being worked on or is it fully scrapped?
In my experience, why does neon junction feel very attacker heavy and very difficult on defenders. I win almost every single attacker round but never a defense round, the way the map is laid out feels to favor angles on the attacker side. Is there any particular reason to why it may feel this way?
Do you have intention to add more of those unexpected environmental kill zones to upcoming maps? If so would it be another trains like busan and neon junction? Or there’s more coming up? If not why?
Is there anything from early renditions of the map that you would've like to see in the final version?
For u/blizz_mega
Not a direct question for Neon Junction, Can we get more TracerEmily content? All we have of their relationship is two sprays. They are the only Canon relationship in the lore of which we know the status of: together
There's also Ingrid and Torbjörn; they're together too
Is the number of kills by the train being counted toward a statistic?
Is there a possibility to remove/change the banner in the doorway to third point? I know it’s just a skill issue but my brain says “you can go through this. It’s not a brick wall” and then it turns out that it is in fact a brick wall.
can we get spoilers for the next map?
Did you get any inspiration from the Tokyo 2099: Shin-Shibuya map from Marvel Rivals? Mostly just the concept of going from a large city, then fighting through the streets, and then ending in a temple seems pretty similar between both maps.
will you put my house in a map? or as a whole map?
Was there plans to connect the Bee house to the Manga shop for a 3rd route to the first point or is it just there for the easter egg?
I'm a big fan of City pop, so when Dion mentioned this map was inspired by it, I was so excited, the map delivered on those vibes perfectly imo. I'm just curious what are some highlights/challenges about trying to adapt a music genre (or the vibes at least) into an actual map and in which ways did it influence the decisions you'd make when building it. Ty for my favorite map, keep up the great work! <3
YOASOBI is a real-world band that appears on Neon Junction. Should we view that as an actual piece of Overwatch canon, or as an out-of-universe homage that isn't meant to have lore implications?
Was it known prior to launch that the train is _just_ low enough to hit and oneshot Life Weaver's tree if he places it on the road underneath? Also, what is the map team's philosophy when it comes to deciding where to put chokepoints and flanks, general amount of space and cover available, and so forth?
Was King’s Row first used as a basis for Neon Junction first? The map definitely seems to share a LOT of similarities in the initial run up to the first point with the vehicle in front of spawn blocking LOS, the general choke shape, the statue right after the choke, etc. The map also generally seems to share a lot of fundamental design principles with King’s Row that aren’t necessarily present in other Hybrid maps, namely the very short distance to first point for the attackers and the second point having a transitional area that blocks flanks to allow teams to safely kite both directions.
Will it be possible if you guys release more data like attackers/defenders winrate (esp based on ranked) and on that note maybe more infographics about ranked in general like what percentage of people are in diamond etc
Are there any other older maps that'll be getting lore-inspired redesigns like gibraltar as this years storyline progresses or was it more of a once off situation?
What's the lore about the third point?
Why is there a window on 3rd point but no stair or elevator?
Are we getting doomfist rework?
Before I start I want to say I have played overwatch for almost 10 years now, and am currently a Grandmaster rank player in every role. What if anything do you plan to do about areas that have little to no way to contest powerful high ground. For example on third point of Circuit Royal when you capture the point there is a piece of high ground that is completely uncontestable without having to cover a massive gap of open space. I have similar thoughts about second point of Junker town. The high ground is completely uncontestable to hero's without mobility vertical mobility with the sole exception of a flank route that takes so long to use it might as well not exist. Alongside this I also have complaints about maps that have been around for a long time. Eichenwald's second point plays so badly. You have 3 choices, one of which is almost never a good idea. This first option is dive, you can try to dive the high ground and try to contest height while your team attempts to keep you alive while being unable to support the dive in a meaningful way. Your second option is to try to stack 4 players onto high ground right after you cap and try to win a 4v5 fight while one player walks cart, although this is only viable if you have a massive ult bank. The third option and from my experience the most commonly successful option is to have a tracer or a hero that can live on cart walk it while your tank tries to distract the team on high ground. Then when you have finally managed to walk the cart under the bridge and the other team has to contest you, you finally have a chance to take a team fight.( this is assuming your team has managed to stay alive and avoid dying in rotation to the super powerful angles that high ground has. Which is very far from guarantied.) These are just a few of the many examples I can give of very unfun map design. Many maps force you to play in a way that avoids taking fights and risks in order to have the best chance to win. Why do these maps that have played this way for years still have no meaningful changes made to them after the many years that have passed? Simply put, overwatch's map design often feels very unfun to play. Why have you not done more to change that?
Will we see any of the additions form the Community Crafted arcade mode in any upcoming updates??
What are some hidden details designed in neon junction that many players may not notice due to the fast paced nature of this game?
Do you have any reworks planned for "hold choke point from a high ground" maps? (Hollywood, eichenvalde and kings row for example) They don't have proper flanks (a tiny tunnel 2 meters to the side is NOT a usable flank) and put too much responsibility on tank. Being forced into poke in defense and dive in attack is not fun either
will the train be able to get play of the game? because goodness knows it has earned it more thm once
Can you guys speak to any lessons learned from less popular maps, and how they informed Neon Junction's design? How does play testing internally compare to the complaints of a zillion players playing the map on launch?
What environmental and aesthetic elements of the map did you decide to include right away and why? Also, what led to the decision to include bees that harm players in one of the map's rooms?
Will Gency ever be canon 🥹
This is the second map in a row with some type of environmental hazard. Antarctic has the freeze fans up top. Is this a trend we will see with future maps? Not necessarily containing instant kill hazards per say but things more like the freeze fans.
Was there inspiration taken from the Tokyo 2099 map in Rivals for Nepn Junction? The maps feel similar to an extent.
What regions of the globe or space would you like to design maps for next?
Will map hazards that are in key areas or around an objective gonna be common in the future like how the train on neon junction is right above the carts path on a playable bridge? Also when it comes to a new map how do you decide its gamemode and its location? I'd assume location is based off of story or newest hero while gamemode is either based on vibes or recent trends like previous map was flashpoint so the next one has to be a payload map
Is there any characters that create extra considerations for map design as to not give on character a major advantage from the map layout?
Love the new environmental traps, the train making the high ground intermittently unsafe is genius and the bees are good fun, what were some ideas or concepts that didn't make it into the map and can we expect more fun and creative environmental traps and pitfalls in maps going forward?
Can you add clash and 2cp into QP and let the votes decide?
Why is there a wall placed on the first point?
When you're designing maps, do you have future characters in mind? Like making specific paths that might work best for them?
Are you going to continue doing this 5-character thing in the coming years?
Are there any plans or talks to convert Stadium maps like Redwood Dam or Wuxing University into maps for the core game?
can we get Hanamura back. and also the story missions fr fr, how big are your playtest groups for maps, and how many of them do you do? honestly id love to hear a rundown of your whole development cycle if youre able to give it!!
I had a game on neon junction where me and my team got rolled. But first point defense the enemy widow set up on a spot that was rather difficult to dislodge her from. Absurdly so. So my question is was this perch point intentional or is it just a misplaced part of map geometry. The replay code is NVFM0Q
Are there any plans to rework some of the existing maps, like you did peninsula?
Why does Mauga look so sexy chilling on this map
u/Blizz_RySmith - what do you think players misunderstand about newer gamemodes (push, flashpoint, maybe clash?), alternatively, what do newer players misunderstand about older gamemodes? I notice a lot of newer players prefer flashpoint.
Love the vibe of this map! Was there a specific city or district in Japan that served as the inspiration for the look?
Are there any pre release iterations of the map? What changed as development went along? Were any other maps used as a base or was the layout made from scratch? Are there any features of the map that had to be removed before release? (Can we get some cool beta screenshots?)
can you release more maps please
Was neon junction's map design layout inspired by other current ow maps like holly wood and kings row by any chance? Love the map and play style! Also you guys also hiring for junior recently graduated game designers from eu? /hj
Do you guys ever plan on having any more bee type threats in levels? They're extremely charming and fun to trick someone to run into during a game.
How do design maps with characters like Pharah in mind with her flight,etc
I really enjoy Neon Junction, and thanks for continuing to make new maps. How do you ultimately decide on a maps size? I noticed Neon Junction can feel a bit on the shorter side compared to something like Hollywood where there is a longer period of time where you're moving cart. What's the process for determining map size? During playback? Prior?
not really a map question but this is the only spot ive had the opportunity to ask it to blizzard people. will we ever get back the tongue on the trap of junkrats mythic skin?
What happened with that blue experimental map that Y'all did a few years ago? We need more maps like that in the rotation just for fun.
What's the starting point when it comes to building new levels? Does it start with an interesting gimmick (like the train) and you build the level around that, or is there more of a worldbuilding/story focus first? The new map has been really cool and fun!
Can you guys fix the fps stutter bug that’s been going on over shion release. Frames will randomly drop or stutter randomly
For u/Blizz\_ren for the doomfist lore update could the new fist be a mythic weapon like upgraded with a flourish i think that would be really cool and a good use of the mythic weapons
Why do I feel so empty?
How do you decide on which game mode to model the map around? Did you came up with a visual and story concept first and then decided on hybrid, or were you on schedule to make new hybrid map and worked around pushing a payload from the beginning? Not about Neon Junction, but it would be great if in the future you could reinvent 2cp and clash maps into the other modes. Those maps are beautiful and it's a shame to loose them. Thank you!
Have you considered adding custom killfeed icons for the train/bees? Will Overwatch ever get a map editor for the players/creators? I would love to greybox some maps and bring them into the workshop or custom games.
Can the train get it's own kill icon? Pretty please?