A new developer’s update video was released on February 6th- ‘Happy Year of the Dog!’ In this video, Jeff Kaplan introduced new updates for the ‘Year of the Dog’, a new event, and mentioned that a new map for the Capture the Flag mode will be added soon.

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First, Kaplan announced that the arcade mode, ‘Capture the Flag’, from last year’s event, the ‘Year of the Rooster’, will be coming back with new rules and a new map. The new map is going to take place in a beautiful and scenic area of Thailand and will be the first map specially made for the Capture the Flag mode.

Kaplan commented that some of the rules for the mode have been changed based on the feedback received from players who enjoyed playing the Capture the Flag mode. Now there won’t be any more draws in Capture the Flag, and a Sudden Death mechanic will happen if both teams are tied at the end of the time limit. In Sudden Death, the distance between each team’s home base and the flag will be shortened, and if either team manages to bring the enemy’s flag back to their home base, the game ends with their victory.

A change has also been made to the rules on picking up the flag. Players can now pick up the flag without any delay, although if the player holding the flag uses certain movement abilities or abilities that boost mobility, they will drop the flag on the spot. Due to this change, Winston using his jump pack will drop the flag, and Zenyatta cannot use his ult to quickly carry the flag.

A Competitive Season for Capture the Flag will also be added. It will be open for 4 weeks, just like the Competitive Season for Lúcioball, and special sprays and icons will be available for players who make it to the top 500 of the rankings.

Additionally, Kaplan also mentioned that they will be extending the Year of the Dog event to 4 weeks so that more players can enjoy it. Also, new legendary skins and highlights for 6 heroes, including Mercy and Genji, will be added as well.