Overwatch players left in the dark over new Malevento map as Blizzard goes silent

Overwatch’s new FFA deathmatch map, Malevento, was supposed to release in late July but appears to have fallen off of the radar, leaving fans perplexed.

Back in December, 2021, Blizzard gifted Overwatch players Kanezaka, a free for all (FFA) deathmatch map which featured a beautiful blend of Japanese traditionalism and futurism all wrapped up into one.

Featuring an adorable cat cafe, the map and its furry inhabitants were a much needed breath of fresh air for avid players of Blizzard’s flagship FPS.

Supposed to follow in its tracks was Malevento, a quaint Italian hamlet nestled in the heart of the mountains. However, following the recent Activision Blizzard lawsuit, it appears to have vanished off the face of the earth, and fans want to know why.

Where is Malevento, Overwatch’s new FFA map?

Making its debut on the PTR on 22 July, the map was never officially loaded into the game. This is likely because its PTR release happened to coincide directly with the announcement of the ongoing lawsuit. However, players haven’t heard anything since then.

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Confused fans have made their discontent known on the game’s official subreddit, where one thread asks if we can expect to explore the spectacular city after the Overwatch Summer Games drops out of rotation on August 11.

One fan notes that “there was a ~500mb pre-patch download I had yesterday [August 9], maybe the map is releasing on the 11th when Summer Games ends.”

Another recalls “seeing August 17th as the release date,” which would give the Summer Games some time to die down before the new map released.

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What’s clear, though, is that a lot of people want to traverse the winding back passages of this beautiful looking town. “I look at this map and see a finished map with immense polish and cannot wait to jump in and explore its Italian setting,” writes one player, while another calls it “pretty.”

Either way, considering the closing ceremony of the Overwatch Summer Games is upon us, we’ll need to wait and see if we finally get to battle it out amid the stunning Venetian architecture of Malevento.