Overwatch experienced plenty of struggles and growing pains over its lifetime. From buffs and nerfs to map changes and other dramatic alterations, the game has evolved a lot. The release of Overwatch 2 switched things up even more, for better and for worse. Leaks led to the spoiling of one new map, Malevento, before its official release on September 28, 2021. Here’s what the leaks suggested at the time, and what we’ve learned since.
Overwatch Leaks
(Updated on August 1, 2024 – updated links and information)
Leaks ahead of the maps release correctly identified Malevento as a village located in the mountains of Italy, featuring architecture well-known to the area. While there may be beauty on the outside, the location holds a secret Talon base that players must battle around. It features a mix of tight corridors and open spaces, leaving plenty of options as far as heroes to take into battle. The map is also designed specifically with free-for-all combat in mind, with terrain that allows for messy group fights and devastating ganks.
Upon its release on September 28, 2021, Malevento became the 33rd map in the game, boosting Overwatch‘s already impressive selection. There’s no way of knowing how player reception of the map might’ve changed had these early leaks occurred, and perhaps it doesn’t matter, as hours of fun fragging were had either way. Today’s Overwatch looks quite different from the game at the time of Malevento’s release, but despite creative turbulence and a shaky sequel, the hero shooter genre is still going strong.
