Titanfall's first map pack, Expedition, contains a new playground set in a swamp, and according to a blog post and video from developer Respawn Entertainment, that map took years to reach its final form.
Known as Swampland, the map went through "years of twists and turns and false starts," said Chris Dionne, the map's designer. Work on a swamp-based map began in the summer of 2011, nearly two years before Respawn officially announced Titanfall. But according to Dionne, progress on the map was shelved for "almost two years," and only picked back up after the studio had completed design work on the main game.
"With Swampland I tried to add a unique experience to Titanfall while staying true to the original themes of the level, like overwhelming nature and its intersection with technology. This was a level born of heavy experimentation and iteration," said Dionne.
Swampland's initial design called for many Interstellar Manufacturing Corporation (IMC) buildings and "massive infrastructure," which obscured the swamp setting and stripped the map of its personality, said Dionne. During playtesting of that version, Dionne realized that the tall trees standing on Swampland's perimeter should be the focus of the map. There's now a forest at the center of the map, and both Titans and Pilots trudge through the woods to get between the three main structures located on the outer edge.
Respawn put together a video to show off the evolution of Swampland over the years; you can watch it above. Swampland is one of three maps in the Expedition DLC, which is set for release later this month. It will cost $9.99 by itself, and will be free to owners of the $24.99 Titanfall season pass. For more on Titanfall, check out our full review.
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