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Eichenwalde
Eichenwalde

Theme
▶️ ▶️
Type
Hybrid Hybrid
Location
Germany Outskirts of Stuttgart, Germany
Terrain
Medieval castle and town area
Release date
2016-09-01

Eichenwalde is a Hybrid map in Overwatch and Overwatch 2. Released on 1 September 2016, making it the 14th map added to the game.

Background[ | ]

Eichenwalde is located in the middle of the Black Forest.[1] Based on the stratification of the castle's stonework, a lot of groups have called it home over the centuries.[2]

The town was the site of one of the most famous battles during the Omnic Crisis. It was here that the leader of the Crusaders, Balderich von Adler, and a handful of his best soldiers, including his pupil, Reinhardt Wilhelm, made a last stand against an advancing automaton army.[3] Since Eichenwalde was in the way of a larger omnic advance to Stuttgart, the town was evacuated on October 11, from 3 to 8 o'clock.[4] Outnumbered and outgunned, almost all Crusaders were slain during the resulting combat, including the organization's leader. However, thanks to their valiant efforts, the German military was able to push back the omnic offensive and win the fight.[5][4] In the present day, Eichenwalde lies abandoned, and the forest has slowly begun overtaking the village. However, the scars of war will never completely fade.[6]

Gameplay[ | ]

Eichenwalde is a Hybrid map which takes place in three main locations: The Town, The Castle Grounds, and the Castle Interior. The defenders must prevent the attackers from retrieving General Balderich von Adler's remains.

The Town[ | ]

Attackers spawn at the Tavern at the bottom of the town. They must push up through the town, under a low archway, and onto the point in the open area, surrounded by two high up areas, and several tunnels and building interiors. Defenders must defend the point using the multitude of chokepoints and high ground areas surrounding the capture point. After capturing the point, attackers spawn in the clock shop to the left of the point, from an attacker's perspective. As it is a Hybrid map, the capture point becomes a payload.

The Castle Grounds[ | ]

Defenders spawn in the Castle Grounds for the first capture point defense, just before the bridge. The Castle grounds have a large amount of significant high ground, as well as an underground pathway, and indoor parts of the buildings with stair access to other levels. Beyond this building is a large bridge with environmental hazards on either side, as well as a smaller less accessible bridge. Below the bridge on the right side is a platform which has access to the lower levels and can save players who are knocked down off the bridge itself. After pushing to the Castle Door, attackers spawn just before the bridge, facing the doorway.

The Castle Interior[ | ]

Defenders spawn in the Castle for the first checkpoint and final checkpoint defense. They spawn near the door to the castle for the first, and at the back for the second. The castle is a downhill slope with a left and right turn before it comes to a stop. Each turn is covered with the castle walls, although some pathways exist for flanks to higher ground or behind the defending team. Once the attackers reach the throne at the end of the level, they win the round.

Halloween Version[ | ]

Adlersbrunn[ | ]

See: Adlersbrunn

A Halloween Version of Eichenwalde exists named Adlersbrunn. It is an identical version of the map set at nighttime, and with no post-war debris, instead replaced by upturned carts and burning hay bales. The Castle also has Tesla Coils on the outside, as well as the corpse of Balderich being replaced by Junkenstein's Monster. In the Custom Game editor, the map is named Eichenwalde (Halloween), but is shown as Adlersbrunn in game.

The map also has a metal fence present alongside the left end of the bridge (from attacker's perspective) which is not on the original map, making it gameplay altering to some extent.

Trivia[ | ]

Eichenwalde-cncpt

Concept art

  • The horns of Diablo are mounted in the hunting lodge.
  • Reinhardt's name is carved into the bar table in the tavern, which was later revealed at the Honor and Glory short.
  • Also in the tavern is a stack of newspapers titled "Zeitung", which translates as "Newspaper".
  • Kosakenzipfel, an item on the bakery menu, is a fictional food from a German comedy sketch.
  • There is a bonfire from the game series Dark Souls in one of the hallways in the castle.
  • Balderich von Adler, leader of the Crusaders, was born here according to one of Reinhardt's voice lines for this map.
  • Balderich von Adler's Overwatch coin was put to the side of the throne at the end.
  • In the instrument shop, the pianos can produce different sounds based on where you hit them.
  • Eichenwalde almost translates to "oak forest" in German. The in-game map, however, has only pine trees.
  • The destroyed bastion units found laying about the map have guns on both arms, whereas the playable bastion has a gun on its right arm, and a normal hand on its left.

References[ | ]

  1. 2016-08-16, GamesCom 2016 – Overwatch new Map Eichenwalde. Blizzplanet, accessed on 2016-09-04
  2. Overwatch 2, Venture Quotes
  3. Honor and Glory
  4. 4.0 4.1 2016-08-23, Eichenwalde Easter Eggs. Blizzplanet, accessed on 2017-11-05
  5. 2016-08-16, Eichenwalde | New Map Preview | Overwatch. Youtube, accessed on 2016-08-16.
  6. 2016-09-01, Overwatch Patch Notes – September 1, 2016: Patch Highlights, Battle.net Forums. Accessed on 2016-09-01.
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