'Overwatch' closed beta features new game mode, additional maps

 Battle Net

The closed beta for "Overwatch" is now back, and there will be new features for players to try out this time around.

Arguably the most significant addition being introduced during this closed beta testing period is the new game mode known as Control.

In Control, players will be divided into teams of two, and they will also be tasked with trying to take over an objective area located somewhere on the map. A specific team will have to maintain control over the objective area until they are able to capture it completely. Once an objective area has been captured, the team that succeeds in doing so will be the winner of the round. The first team to win two of the three rounds will be the victor of that particular Control game.

In order to properly experience the new game mode, players will be given access to two Control maps, according to Battle Net.

The first of the two Control maps, known as Nepal, will take players up to the ruins of an ancient monastery. The other map, known as Lijiang Tower, will situate players inside a Chinese metropolis populated by all kinds of stores and other establishments.

The closed beta for "Overwatch" will also introduce a new player progression feature. With player progression, participants in the closed beta will be able to level up and even be granted the opportunity to obtain loot boxes. Players should note that the contents of the loot boxes will not drastically affect gameplay inside "Overwatch."

In an interview with PC Gamer, "Overwatch" director Jeff Kaplan revealed that the contents of the loot boxes will be entirely cosmetic items, meaning players who aren't able to unlock a lot of them will still be able to compete pretty well.

The returning closed beta for "Overwatch" will also include a new play mode known as Play vs. AI. In this new play mode, players can team up with one another to take on AI-controlled opponents.

No end date has been announced for this round of closed beta testing for "Overwatch."

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