Overwatch's new map, Eichenwalde, isn't yet available for all players. The map is currently only available on the public test realm Overwatch servers for those playing on PC, but that hasn't stopped fans from discovering a cool new Easter egg.
It's a reference that will be immediately apparent for most gamers who haven't been living under a rock for the past couple of years. Hidden within the castle walls of Eichenwalde is a bonfire with a sword plunged into the ground, an iconic symbol of the Dark Souls franchise.
In From Software's punishing RPG series, bonfires serve as checkpoints and a moment of calm in an otherwise brutal game, as it allows players to sit down and invest in upgrades for their character. Upon dying, players then respawn at their last visited bonfire ... something that happens a lot in Dark Souls.
This bonfire in Overwatch, unfortunately, serves no real purpose outside of looking cool. There is a health pack nearby, however, so injured heroes in Overwatch can flee to the bonfire location to lift their spirits.
The inclusion of the Easter egg is a nice nod to the Dark Souls franchise and fits in perfectly with the new map's theme. It doesn't get more fantasy than an ancient German castle, in this case a German castle littered with dead robots and the power armor-wearing humans defending the keep. That being said, dead robots and knights are nothing compared to the decrepit, monster-filled castles and woods that Dark Souls players are used to dealing with. You can check out the Easter egg for yourself in the map walkthrough by Dwarvendova below.
There's no word yet on when Eichenwalde will release for all Overwatch players across all of the game's various platforms, but expect it to be soon. The map currently is being publicly tested by thousands of players, after all.
A bonfire in Overwatch is far from Blizzard's first homage to another game series. In the past decade, Blizzard has filled World of Warcraft with various pop culture references and Easter eggs for other video game franchises, and other Blizzard titles like Diablo III and StarCraft also have their fair share of references as well. Speaking of World of Warcraft, the game's next expansion, Legion, arrives on Aug. 30. Those who prepurchase the game can try out the MMO's new Demon Hunter hero class right now.
