Overwatch has been a hit since it was first released way back in 2016. It is one of the best crossplay games available right now. With the sequel in Beta currently going on, there are a slew of new Overwatch maps and a new mode on the horizon for fans to enjoy.
While the star of the show is the game’s cast of heroes and villains we can play as, all Overwatch maps available deserve recognition in one way or another – except Horizon Lunar Colony.
Across the maps on Overwatch, there are many different modes to play across. In anticipation of Overwatch 2, we’ve decided to rank all Overwatch maps from worst to best.
Horizon Lunar Colony – Assault
Horizon Lunar Colony is one of the most hated Overwatch maps. It has an interesting premise being home to everyone’s favorite gorilla Winston and the adorable killer hamster and his robot Wrecking Ball. Not even that can save it, though.
The map is so problematic with its structure and balance that it was removed from competitive play in 2019.
Blizzard even provided some structural changes on the map to make it more viable. These changes didn’t do much, however. Then, earlier this year in March, it was taken out of the rotation for Quick Play as well. While it can still be played in certain Arcade modes, it’s safe to say rest in peace, Horizon. There are many better maps on Overwatch to play.
Paris – Assault
Paris isn’t quite as bad as Horizon Lunar Colony, but it’s close. For me, the saving grace is its aesthetics. It looks beautiful and has some fun easter eggs like the crooning Omnic in the Assault spawn room.
Unfortunately, many of the problems that plague Horizon Lunar Colony also cause Paris to suffer.
It’s fairly linear for the assault side with few spots to sneakily attack. When capturing the second point, there are almost too many options with three large, branching paths to try and take the point. Like Horizon Lunar Colony, it’s also been removed from both Competitive and Quick Play. This makes two Overwatch maps that are just not viable.
Volskaya Industries – Assault
If you haven’t noticed a pattern yet, Assault levels just aren’t the most fun maps on Overwatch. Thankfully, Volskaya Industries isn’t nearly as bad or broken as Horizon or Paris.
It has some fun features. A number of characters can flank on assault. There is a path that allows you to sneak around the back using different abilities depending on the character.
Unfortunately, besides that, the map isn’t particularly exciting. It suffers aesthetically from some of the same downfalls Horizon Lunar Colony does. It’s mostly monochromatic and with the snow, it just drowns things out a bit. Overwatch 2 is removing all Assault maps though, so if this and the other assault levels are your favorite Overwatch maps, play while you can.
Hanamura – Assault
Our assault on Assault maps continues with Hanamura. It isn’t a bad map. From here forward, none of the remaining maps suffer from major issues. Hanamura can house some pretty epic battles.
In the past, it is where the Overwatch animated short “Dragons” starring Genji and Hanzo took place.
The map has plenty of places to flank for various characters and several places to sneak and hide if need be. The final point to capture or defend takes place in a large room. It allows for some pretty big combos as there aren’t really any places to hide without leaving the control area. It isn’t the best of the assault maps on Overwatch, though.
Temple of Anubis – Assault
The Temple of Anubis takes the cake for the best of all the Assault Overwatch maps. In fact, it was the first map developed for the game. Its desert-ladened temples, market, and hallways add a lot of personality and storytelling. There are several routes heading to the first point, but they’re not too broad or spread out that it becomes frustrating to defend.
The final point, like Hanamura, is pretty open, but it is much smaller in size. It’s also very close to the final spawn room. I have experienced many moments where my team has almost made it back as the attacking team captured the point. Talk about frustrating!
Numbani – Hybrid
Our first of the Hybrid map on this list isn’t bad. It’s just not the best. Numbani is known as the City of Harmony but there’s plenty of potential for chaos in its streets. It’s also home to my favorite character, Lucio. Its colorful city streets and balconies aloud for a lot of verticality in strategy when trying to take the first and second points.
Once the first point is captured the objective becomes a payload escort. It previously held Doomfist’s gauntlet. The best part of the payload is the ending area. There’s a decent amount of room for brawling and longer site lines for snipers and long-distance fighters to try and take out the enemy as you battle for control. Out of all Overwatch maps, I’ve had my longest match here. In an arcade game of Total Mayhem, I had a 45-minute game!
Nepal – Control
Control maps are some of the most fun because they give you three different locales to explore Nepal is the home of the most spiritual of omnics. The three areas, the Village, Sanctum, and Shrine, all support different playstyles. While all three are fun, other Control maps on Overwatch are better.
Sanctum is especially fun because the area being controlled allows you to knock enemies off. Lucio, Pharah, Wrecking Ball, and Roadhog are all some of the heroes who can wreak havoc here by booping people off with various abilities.
Lijang Tower – Control
Lijang Tower offers three neon-lit areas to take control of. The first, Lijang Night Market, gives you a glimpse of the city’s nightlife with lots of restaurants to see on your way to the control point. Just don’t miss out on taking the point because you stop to stare at some ramen.
One of the best parts about all three sections of these maps on Overwatch are the areas to boop others off. The first two points, the Market and Garden, have more accessible spots to boop than the final point in the Control Tower. The Control Tower offers up plenty of spots to weave in and out of while on and near the point.
Blizzard World – Hybrid
Blizzard World is a love letter to fans of all Blizzard games as you battle across Azeroth, Tristram, and the Koprulu Sector in one of the most clever of all Overwatch maps.
The map is an homage to Blizzard’s past and future, but it isn’t half bad as far as Overwatch maps go.
Attacking the point to take control of the Payload is perhaps the least fun part. There are some places to try and gain the upper hand but the best option is just a full-on assault. Once the payload unlocks, though, the real fun begins. It moves quickly and that’s when you’ll see even more callbacks to other Blizzard games.
Rialto – Escort
Rialto is one of the best looking of all Overwatch maps. If I had to pick a place to vacation from the game, Rialto would be up there on my list. Rivers run through much of the map and are great places for knocking your opponents off.
The payload is full of wine you’ll escort to the mansion at the end of the map. As you move through the map, there are buildings to weave in and out of to try to surprise your opponents. There are also places throughout perfect for snipers to try and get a shot in the midst of all the chaos.
Busan – Control
Busan is a futuristic version of the South Korean city. It features three areas to control, Sanctuary, Downtown, and MEKA Base. Sanctuary and Downtown are some of the more dynamic Overwatch maps. While MEKA Base had some cool easter eggs, it doesn’t reach the heights of the other two.
Sanctuary has one of the best sneaky spots in the game. In the middle of the point, there is a giant drum. If you’re sneaky enough, you can sit on top and contest the point while enemies run below you in a maddened, confused state. Downtown features a light rail you can knock enemy heroes. Boop!
Havana – Escort
Havana first appeared as part of the Storm Rising PVE event. This escort iteration is a bit more idyllic than the seasonal mission. There are lots of brightly colored buildings to duck in and out of and palm trees to remind you that you’re not on vacation as you escort a payload full of rum.
The opening area contains a bridge for booping and plenty of higher ground for the defense to attack from. The middle part of the escort path is probably the most difficult push on the map. If you fail, maybe you can at least share the rum with your enemy?
Dorado – Escort
You’ll notice quite a bit of celebratory decorations in Dorado. It’s the most festive of all Overwatch maps. The festivities are in celebration of the end of the Omnic Crisis. The side protecting the payload must escort the fusion core to the powerplant.
Dorado is well balanced and offers up opportunities for all heroes. There are buildings to the side for some frantic close-ranged combat, vantage points for a Widow or Hanzo, and at the end room for a Wrecking Ball to take charge and disrupt the enemy team.
Watchpoint: Gibraltar – Escort
Watchpoint: Gibraltar serves as the place where Winston calls former Overwatch members back into action. There are a variety of easter eggs to find around the map alluding to past Overwatch members.
Of all Overwatch maps, Watchpoint: Gibraltar has some of the best spots for snipers, turrets, and other long-range abilities to be used.
Its final point is another that features a short jog to the payload from the final spawn room. But not quite short enough to overwhelm those trying to escort it. Before her kit was changed, Mercy could resurrect her entire team from that same spawn room. Talk about OP.
Oasis – Control
Oasis is a glittering jewel in the deserts of the Middle East. It’s home to some of the best and brightest folks in the Overwatch world. The three areas you’ll vie for control over are the City Center, Gardens, and University. All three feature a futuristic design that still pays homage to some of the architecture the region is known for.
Oasis was the first standard map to feature a jump pad. It also features some cars that can kill you in spectacular fashion if you wander too close to the road in the City Center.
All three maps feature high ground within or next to the point to help keep pressure on the enemy team.
Junkertown – Escort
Junkertown is a big map and while it’s still a lot of fun, its misuse of some of its space can be frustrating. Despite that, it’s full of personality thanks to its mishmash style of broken parts and the Shanty Town. Junkertown has players escorting or attacking a payload full of riches stolen by Roadhog and Junkrat through these spaces.
Despite its large size, there are plenty of places for players of any style to use their favorite heroes. If you play as Junkrat, Roadhog, or Wrecking Ball on this level, you’ll get to hear some special dialogue from the Junker Queen as you enter the arena. Junker Queen is expected to be a hero at some point.
Let’s hope we’ll see her in Overwatch 2.
Route 66 – Escort
Right out of the gate, Route 66 looks like a scene from an epic action sequence. In fact, how the state of the map came to be was a subject of another Overwatch short called Reunion.
If you prefer a hero with long-range or who can take to the skies in one way or another, Route 66 is a great map for you.
Of all Overwatch maps, Route 66 uses its windy payload path better than most. It gives plenty of room for players to skirmish and duck in and out of buildings as well as on top. The collection of buildings and bridges in the center part of the map can lead to some of the most fun skirmishes in any of the maps on Overwatch.
Hollywood – Hybrid
“C’mon, I’m not paying you for your acting ability, let’s get moving.” The Hollywood map is home to the true villain of Overwatch: that damn director in the car. Once the first point is captured, the attacking side must escort him in his car while facing a barrage of insults as well as the enemy team.
You’ll move across a variety of Hollywood sets as you take the director to his destination: from the wild west to an alien planet. There are a lot of side paths to take and buildings to climb whether you’re defending or attacking the payload.
There is a balance to this level that makes it one of the best of all Overwatch maps.
Ilios – Control
Ilios is another spot in Overwatch perfect for a little rest and relaxation. Though, in Overwatch, there’s no time for that. Instead, you’ll compete for control at the Lighthouse, Ruins, and the Well.
Besides being one of the prettiest of all Overwatch maps, it’s also one of the most fun.
There are higher stakes around both the Well and Lighthouse as it’s easy to get knocked off. Even the Ruins host a nearby ledge that you’ll likely get thrown off too if you wander too close. There’s a wide range of designs between the three control points that help make most heroes a worthwhile choice depending on the situation.
King’s Row – Hybrid
There is something very Overwatch about King’s Row. It is steeped in history within the game’s world. King’s Row is featured in the animated short “Alive” starring Widow and Tracer where the former assassinates Omnic spiritual leader Tekhartha Mondatta. It is also home to the Null Sector Uprising.
Besides its history, it is just a well-designed map with viability for pretty much all characters are various points. There is a lot of verticality for snipers, different paths for flankers, and just enough room for heroes with disruption abilities to mess with the enemy team.
It’s an all-around map that is consistently fun to play whether you’re on Assault or Defense.
Eichenwalde – Hybrid
This is it. The best of all Overwatch maps. Not only is Eichenwalde home to some great level design, but there’s also a lot of environmental storytelling and easter eggs to find. In the hunting lodge, Diablo’s horns are mounted on the wall.
There’s also a bonfire alluding to the ones found in the Dark Souls game. As you move through the map, your goal is to reach Balderich’s remains. They sit at the end of the stage in a pretty epic fashion.
The payload is a battering ram you’ll escort to get into the castle. As one of the best maps on Overwatch, its level design offers plenty of paths for the attack to try and take control of the payload. On defense, Reinhardt and Orisa are both viable in their current states and can hunker down and wait behind their shield as DPS volley with the opposing side. There are also sightlines for long-distance heroes to try and pick off a sneaky Tracer of Genji.
Be sure to let us know in the comments which is your favorite of all Overwatch maps. What’s your number one? Don’t forget to see where Overwatch falls on our list of all Blizzard games ranked.
