2021 has been so far a terrible year for map balance. Specially for killers.
First off, let's see what was positive about map balance this year:
The Crotus Prenn Asylum rework. That's it. Two maps had a few issues solved, like their really strong main buildings.
Now, everything map-related that was bad:
The Game (Gideon Meat Packing Plant) rework was terrible. It went from one of the few killer sided maps that still had a few things going for survivors to one that not only is insanely survivor sided as also really boring, with god pallet after god pallet, no mindgames, no strategy, no gameplay.
The maps from Coldwind Farm were known for years as some of the most survivor-sided ones, and the rework managed to make them worse! None of their issues were touched, but they gained new hay tiles that are big enough to waste some of the killer's time but low enough so survivors can see the killers through them, making mindgames impossible. Also, breakable walls were added to previously fixed loops and even visibility in the corn has decreased a little bit. Not to mention it's harder to see scratch marks on them now.
RPD was added as a map... and looks like the devs ignored all they had acknowledged about map balance in the past while making this one. Enormous size, loops that range from useless to broken, and it even has at least one infinite. It's miserable to play on it for both sides, but sure as hell it's much worse if you're the killer. Good luck trying to protect the gens or apply pressure on such a huge area, or to catch survivors on the strongest loops.
And to make matters worse, Hawkins was one of the few maps that were still good for killers. It was removed. That also means one less maps to try stealth builds.
Overall, we lost two killer-sided maps, gained two survivor-sided ones (that are quite unfun for survivors as well), and some of the worst maps for killers got even worse. Map design is one of the main issues of this game's balance, and it took a few steps back this year. I have yet to see the Artist's map go live, but even if it's good, it doesn't compensate for all the losses map balance suffered so far. I suggest The Game, RPD and the Farm maps get layout changes as soon as possible, but unfortunately I don't have any hopes it will be done in less than a year, maybe even two, considering map reworks are so stagnant right now and the devs didn't show any plans to change already reworked maps. All of this is really disappointing.
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