Rialto

Rialto
Type	Escort
Location	Venice, Italy
Terrain	Canals

Rialto is an Escort map in Overwatch and Overwatch 2. Released on 3 May 2018, making it the 26th map added to the game.

Background

Rialto was home to Talon agent Antonio Bartalotti's sprawling estate and the backdrop to the infamous “Venice Incident,” a turning point for Overwatch and Talon. The Italian government has taken great steps to preserve Venice, and the results are striking. Tourists visiting this picturesque town can sample the regional cuisine, enjoy a relaxing gondola ride, visit Galleria D’arte Omnica (the local art gallery), or take in the sights with a stroll along the canal.

Gameplay

Rialto is an Escort Map which takes place in three main locations: The Grand Hotel and Courtyard, The Rialto Bridge and Dock, and the Talon Headquarters.

The Grand Hotel and Courtyard

Attackers spawn in the Art Museum at the start of the map. Outside of spawn, there are three walkways, two of which are thin bridges and one which is a larger bridge in which the payload moves along. In front of the bridge are three high grounds, one extending along the payload track. After this is a large open area where the payload reaches the next checkpoint. Around the Courtyard are paths that lead along the river for flanking. Attackers spawn in a building adjacent to the courtyard after reaching the checkpoint.

The Rialto Bridge and Dock

The next checkpoint is a large arched bridge leading over to a two-storey building. Along the left side of the payload, track is a high ground which the building connects to, arching over the payload track. Outside the building on the other side is an open area with an open wall that lines the payload track. The payload curves around and stops in front of another archway. Defenders spawn in the two-story building at the first checkpoint. Attackers spawn after the first archway for the second checkpoint.

Talon Headquarters

The Final stretch is an uphill push that curves into a large open building. This area has two key flanks, one through a building on the right leading to the corner and another on the left leading to a wide building or to the payload track. The payload must be moved into the large building to win. Defenders spawn here on the second and third checkpoints, with the second spawning underground closer to the track and the third spawning in the back of the large building.

Gondola Rides

On the map are Gondolas, which are moving platforms across the waterway. A selection of boats and gondolas move across the water, and the Omnic Gondoliers can be destroyed when attacked. The boats will start near the attacker's spawn and will loop around near the bridge after the first point.

Strategy

• Widowmaker is especially powerful on Rialto due to long sightlines, especially on the first and second points.

Trivia

• Rialto is based upon the map used for the Retribution PvE mode. Unlike Havana, which is used for Storm Rising, Rialto is played backward and has extra locations accessible to the player.
  • The map has access to the complete Talon Headquarters to the right (Defender Perspective) of the final spawn, as well as Restaurant behind the Art Museum. However, this version's final point building is inaccessible to the player.
  • Rialto's Retribution version takes place at night rather than during the day.
  • There are also some modifications to the area, such as no open wall structure at the docks, no moving boats or gondolas, several bridges are gated off, such as the right flank (Attackers Perspective) at the first spawn, and several platforms are present for the Talon Snipers.
• Rialto was modified after launch to add a piece of cover to the Attacker's third spawn, as it had a direct line of sight to defenders.
• Rialto was disabled for Unranked and Competitive Queues on the launch of Overwatch 2. Using spectator mode at the time of its launch, players could see an extension to the map, inaccessible on regular play. As shown previously with King's Row in development material, the map has been extended for PvE-related content.
• Recently, it has been discovered that there is a cut-off section that only Sombra can access, it is assumed this is planned to be a add on for the PvE campaign; there is not much to note besides it has some lacking textures and does not currently function, but does have clipping, so you won't fall through the floor.

Audio

• Outside the attacker's spawn there is a restaurant; it will play unique music when getting close to the speakers.

• In the attacker's first spawn there is an art gallery with abstract art sculptures incorporating mostly light and geometry.

• These themes below are the original Rialto themes; they were changed later (the newer versions are at the top of the page).