Let’s take a lore tour of Overwatch’s new map, Petra

New maps have been a feature of Overwatch’s Anniversary event since launch, and this year’s entry into the game might just have a few small lore threads for us to follow.

Set in South Jordan and based on the famous UNESCO World Heritage site well known to fans of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, the new Petra map gives Deathmatch Mode fans a wonderfully scenic and historic setting to test their skills. However, the fun of the fight isn’t all that lies within Petra’s walls...

Within the level itself, there are several small details casually dropped in, as the Overwatch team have a habit of doing in their emergent storytelling style. We’re treated to some datapads, emails, a few new names, and what appears to be a new faction or organisation in the Overwatch world.

Whether it’s additional flavour, or perhaps something to do with Overwatch’s next new hero, we shouldn’t have long to wait. Given the timeline of Overwatch’s updates over the last two years, we can roughly to see a new hero on the PTR in just over a month’s time - with teasers starting towards the end of June. Could “Blaise”, the name dropped on a bag in one of Petra’s camps, be a possible candidate?

After having a bit of a ponder after releasing this video, I agree with commenters and lore sleuths that it’s far more likely the “Ioannidis” mentioned in one terminal’s email details is an Ilios-based scientist, rather than being on-site at Petra.

Still, that leaves us the mystery of who “Blaise” might be...