Numbani Airport Has Changed on the Overwatch PTR

Published: February 26, 2017 9:30 AM /

By:


Numbani Official Screenshot

The airport on the Numbani Map has had a number of changes made to the PTR (Public Test Realm) version of the map as reported in a thread on the /r/Overwatch subreddit.

These changes are more than likely related to the new hero that was teased a few days ago in an in-universe news piece. The map changes popped up on Reddit and the discussion of them have been quite interesting to say the least. Here's a gallery showing the most notable changes:

[gallery type="slideshow" size="full" ids="130651,130650,130649,130645,130647"]

In short, the airport attacker spawn got smashed up a good bit and the Doomfist gauntlet was stolen. Obviously the two are connected in some fashion, but the chances of the next hero being Doomfist are questionable considering that Jeff Kaplan stated that "[the 24th hero] is not who you think it is" over on the game's official forums.

Of course, after the changes were known to the wider community the playerbase started theorizing about what everything means. One of the more interesting posts suggests that we'll be getting two heroes in this update. It uses datamined voice files and other media to support this theory.

Aside from player theories about what exactly is going on, quite a few roleplayers have stepped out of the woodwork and have made several in-universe posts over at the official Overwatch forums. Many of the posts are relatively indistinguishable from a real-world incident at a public place and it's all ultimately in good fun.


Quick Take

Personally, I'm a fan of the two heroes theory. I was made aware by a friend that Blizzard has stated that they won't release multiple heroes simultaneously for balance reasons, but I still can't shake the feeling (or perhaps more accurately, the hope) that #24 will be a spider-tank controlled by an adorable child genius, #25 will be Doomfist, and they will either be released simultaneously or awfully close to one another. We'll probably see soon enough which theory turns out to be the correct one.

What do you think the changes to the Numbani map mean? Do you think this is Blizzard teasing Doomfist despite saying that he may not be the next hero or do you think this is a red herring? What do you think happened in the Numbani airport? Let us know in the comments below!

Have a tip, or want to point out something we missed? Leave a Comment or e-mail us at tips@techraptor.net


A photograph of TechRaptor Senior Writer Robert N. Adams.
| Senior Writer

One of my earliest memories is playing Super Mario Bros. on the Nintendo Entertainment System. I've had a controller in my hand since I was 4 and I… More about Robert N

More Info About This Game
Learn more about Overwatch
Game Page Overwatch
Platforms
PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Release Date
May 24, 2016 (Calendar)
Purchase (Some links may be affiliated)