EA reportedly considering Olympus for ALGS Year 4

It has been confirmed that EA are considering adding Olympus to the next season of ALGS. The news was confirmed on stream by Furia player Albralelie who revealed that EA have asked scrim hosts to host games on Olympus for feedback.

It has been a long time since a change in the ALGS maps. Storm Point was added in ALGS Year 2. No new map has been used since.

There has been an incredibly mixed reaction amongst players about Olympus. However, EA also has to balance keeping the ALGS fresh for viewers.

Originally, scrims were being held on OIympus due to an issue with Storm Point. But today, Storm Point was re-added back into Custom games after an issue with the map was fixed.

Yet, scrims are still being hosted on Olympus. As revealed by Albralelie this is as a direct result of a request by EA for feedback on the map. There is "a high potential for the map to be added to ALGS."

Feedback so far has not been positive. Yet, it is clear that Olympus is preferred to both Kings Canyon and Broken Moon. Kings Canyon did used to be an ALGS map, however the addition of abilities like Valkyrie's Skyward Dive and items such as the Evac Tower have made the games original map feel incredibly small.

There are a few key complaints about Olympus, that would cause big issues for ALGS competitors.

Olympus has some unique map mechanics, that would potentially cause big issues. Phase Driver can generate unlimited loot, and is a very powerful POI. You also have the Pathfinders Fight Night Arena in which you cannot use weapons. Could you imagine teams having to punch out for a share of $2,000,000 at the next ALGS Championship?

The map also has some spacing issues compared to Worlds Edge and Storm Point. Olympus is very open, which teams are finding frustrating. Poking and playing long range is far more prevalent in ALGS. Additionally, POI's being so close together can make rotations difficult and cause pileups.

Of course, there is the possibility that this map might not be added or may be added mid-ALGS after some changes are made.

Of course, adjusting Olympus based on this feedback would impact all players not just those who play ALGS. This might reduce how willing EA and Respawn could be when it comes to adapting the map.

Why are EA so desperate to add a new map to the ALGS? Simply put, it is to keep the ALGS interesting for viewers. The ALGS format is likely to be very similar in year 4.

Continuing to only play Worlds Edge and Storm Point could mean the ALGS will start to feel stale for viewers. If the esport is not enjoyable and engaging to watch for casual viewers, that will hurt the scene.

However, if the map will result in boring and uncompetitive games then that would also be bad for business. It's a tough balance that EA have to strike.

It is inevitable that we will see a third map in the ALGS before long. Olympus is clearly the preferred choice. The question is, will we see Olympus in its current form in competitive when the ALGS returns in late Fall?

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