Overwatch has introduced some changes to the Numbani map to celebrate Overwatch’s victory in the Conquest event, prompting players to wonder what would have happened if Talon won instead. Now that the Conquest event has wrapped up, this cosmetic map update is live in Overwatch for all fans to see.
Reign of Talon Season 1: Conquest introduced some big changes to Overwatch when it launched on February 10. Among them, one of the most engaging was the eponymous Conquest event. Each week for five weeks, players could fight for Overwatch or Talon, complete challenges to earn rewards, and ultimately claim victory for one side over the other. Both teams were tied going into the final week, with Overwatch barely claiming the win by the end of the event on March 16.
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Numbani Map Changes Celebrate Overwatch’s Conquest Victory
Now that Conquest has ended, Overwatch is celebrating the heroes’ victory with some actual changes to one of its maps. As shared by Overwatch Cavalry on Twitter, Numbani is awash with celebration of Overwatch’s triumph over Talon. Fireworks explode above the skyline, confetti rains down on the streets, and banners celebrating Overwatch and Numbani hero Efi can be seen all over the city.
Rearrange the covers into the correct US release order.
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Other map updates from Reign of Talon Season 1, including the destruction of Watchpoint: Gibraltar and Vendetta’s takeover of Rialto and Colosseo, are still live.
At press time, it is unclear exactly how long these cosmetic changes will remain on Numbani. At the very least, they will likely stay until Season 2 begins on April 14, if not longer. Either way, while Vendetta’s offensive has been repelled for now, Talon’s new leader in Overwatch is not giving up just yet.
It is exciting that Overwatch community choices in completing Conquest Prestige Passes actually affected one of its maps. It also shows how Blizzard is pulling out all the stops with the hero shooter’s massive relaunch. Season 1 has set a high bar for Overwatch, so fans will have to see what other surprises are in store during the rest of the Reign of Talon seasons this year.
What Would Have Happened If Talon Won the Overwatch Conquest Event?
Notably, the changes to the Numbani map went live almost immediately after Overwatch was locked in as the victor of the Conquest event. This means the developers had prepared these cosmetic updates ahead of time, which also implies there was a version ready if Talon was victorious instead. This begs the important question of which map would have changed if Talon had won, and how it would have been updated.
The changes would likely have been purely cosmetic, rather than actual battlefield-altering destruction as was unleashed on Gibraltar. Perhaps aircraft, cannons, and propaganda posters would have been hung on Numbani or another map to signify Vendetta’s hostile takeover of Overwatch.
It is hard to say exactly what would have happened, but Blizzard probably has a Talon-controlled map variant tucked away just in case. Unfortunately, since Overwatch was victorious, it’s unlikely that it will ever be seen, unless Blizzard runs some kind of “what if” event to show off this and other unused map variants from theoretical future community events.
While players enjoyed the Conquest event as a whole, the result has led to some buyer’s remorse. While Overwatch winning makes a lot of sense, many fans are now wondering if it would have been more interesting if Talon had won – especially if Blizzard actually reflects the results of the Conquest event in the story. It is currently unclear if the results of this event are canonical or cosmetic. Players may never know for certain, but one thing is for sure: Overwatch is pulling out all the stops this year with Reign of Talon.
- Released
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August 10, 2023
- ESRB
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Teen / Violence, Blood, Mild Language, Use of Tobacco, Users Interact, In-Game Purchases (Includes Random Items)
