Oasis — overwatch

Oasis is a Control map in Overwatch. Released on 3 January 2017, making it the 16th map added to the game.

Official Description

Oasis is one of the world's most advanced cities, a shining jewel rising from the Arabian Desert. A monument to human ingenuity and invention, researchers and academics from around the region came together to found a city dedicated to scientific progress without restraints. The city and its inhabitants are governed by the Ministries, a collection of brilliant minds who possess many secrets that have attracted the interest of powerful organizations from around the world.^[1]

Background

“	City of unfettered scientists, yeah...until they call Helix in tears at two in the morning because the wolfbats escaped...again.	„
	~ Fareeha Amari

Oasis is set in the Arabian desert of Iraq. It was founded by a collective of eight leading scientists, led by Ibrahim Hassoun, Anya Al-Shahrani, Youssef al-Jabiri, and Mehmet Farhat.^[2] They were looking for a way to push the boundaries of what modern science at the time could do, albeit hindered by regulations,^[3] feeling that science in the modern world was progressing at too slow a pace.^[4] To that end they founded Oasis as a testament to the ingenuity of humanity. In their minds, what better way to do so than by turning a desolate landscape into one of the most technologically advanced and wondrous cities in the world, which could serve as a hub for unrestricted scientific endeavor.^[3] (The Ministry of Geology, led by Dr. Al-Shahrani, spearheaded the effort by developing cutting-edge technology that could sustain a thriving city in a desert environment.)^[2]

As per its goal for advancing human knowledge, Oasis has one of the most highly educated populations on Earth, served by a state-of-the-art university and a database of all the world's known existing printed material. It also ranks as one of the safest cities due to its usage of advanced predictive surveillance and crime modeling. Inhabitants also enjoy access to a wide range of world-class amenities, such as the verdant Abu Hassoun Gardens, temperature controlled streets, the luxurious Gilded Tower Hotel, and the elBuffi restaurant, considered the best dining establishment in the world. Perhaps the only cause for concern is the growing city's heavy traffic, for which the Ministry of Transportation has issued a public advisory. One of Oasis' most recognizable landmarks is an enigmatic tower that remains under construction for an indefinite period of time. Already the world's tallest building, it is slated to become the tallest freestanding structure of any kind. It is believed that the project is part of the city's ever-expanding computational and data collecting efforts.^[2]

The Vishkar Corporation desires to have a presence in the city.^[5] Helix Securities is apparently contracted by the city, and its operatives have been brought in to retrieve escaped wolfbats on at least one occasion.^[6]

Part of Oasis was vandalized by the Phreaks.^[7]

Gameplay

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Each turn is played on one of the three sections of the map:

City Center
Gardens
University

Known Residents

Development

In progress shot of the map shown at BlizzCon 2016

Work on Oasis began after Overwatch shipped. The developers wanted to create another Control map.^[8] Bill Petras wanted to do a futuristic setting for the map, and in discussion, the idea of basing the map on a Middle-Eastern setting came up; futuristic, but still bearing the architectural touchstones of the region.^[8] The design of Oasis was inspired by several research photos of cities in Iraq.^[9] The map itself is intended as a deviation of how Iraq has usually been portrayed in games (war-torn). The idea was that as Overwatch is set 60 years into the future, so perhaps a better future for the country could be represented.^[10]

The map was revealed during BlizzCon 2016. It was added to the PTR on November 29, 2016^[1] and to the live versions on January 3, 2017.^[11]

During Season 13, the map was updated to tease the upcoming tank hero. In the Ministry of Chemistry's research lab at Oasis University, holographic graffiti left by the Phreaks was sprawled across the walls and the ferrofluid substance in the center of the room burst.

Trivia

Oasis features Overwatch's second jump pad, after Lúcioball, the first jump pad in a standard game map.
It is the first Control map to not feature the MV-261 Orca as the spawn room for each team.
In the university spawns , 3 different documents can be found. According to the Q.A from BlizzCon 2017, there are hints about Moira's background. They could mean that the laboratories were used for her works on genetics, and teleportation and dematerialisation powers (hers and Reaper's)
- A pile in the purple-tinted spawn named "Genetic Conditioning and Regenerative Properties of Applied Nanobiotics" by "Dr. Angela Ziegler, MD, Ph. D".
- A classified file named "SOLDIER ID: 24" (also in the purple-tinted spawn room.)
- A pile in the yellow-tinted spawn named "Repairing Degenerative Genetic-Strutures".
Interactions between Reaper and Sombra on the map mention that Reaper is at Oasis "to pay a visit to a friend." With Moira's reveal, the "friend" is likely her since her base of operations is in the city.
Reaper dislikes Oasis.^[12]