Behind the Scenes: Safe Haven

After many years in development and multiple iterations, a brand new map in a completely unique locale is finally ready to roll out. Our level designers, working closely with the Asia publishing team, created a map which not only showcases some never before seen features and design elements, but also gives all tank classes an opportunity to shine.

Now, straight from the devs, we'd like to shed a bit more light on how Safe Haven came to be.

Timelapse: Makings of Safe Haven

A Casual Chat with the Devs

Q: Can you tell us more about the bunker feature?

A: While the map layout may give the impression that players are safe from arty fire, it actually forces SPG players to be more active and seek out opportunities.

The idea to implement the bunker was inspired by the active use of coastal areas during World War II. Those bunkers were sometimes used for making and maintaining submarines.

Q: What were the challenges of making Safe Haven? How did the team overcome this?

A: The concept for Safe Haven began way before the transition to the new game engine and creation of HD maps. During the first tests, we realized we did not have the resources to bring the concept to its fullest potential. 

In 2020, we thought the initial idea was quite interesting and revisited it. While waiting for the release, the initial prototype became a bit outdated by current gameplay tank meta standards.

We ended up not only bringing back Safe Haven's old SD prototype but made several revisions to it.

Q: Which part of Safe Haven was the most fun to create?

The most interesting part to create was the extensive green area beyond the the port and bunker. Actually, while the concepts for the port and bunker were not heavily revised apart from some polishing for smoother gameplay, the green areas changed dramatically with almost every iteration introducing and discarding elements.

Over the course of development you would have seen shrines, rice fields, an airfield, and even whole villages appear and disappear.

In the end however, after multiple tests, we picked a variant which combined interesting gameplay and epic aesthetics without becoming too stereotypical. There is a strong sense of industry encroaching on nature which includes features like a truss bridge, a road junction, large cranes and of course the port and bunker itself.

Road junction in Safe Haven - from past iterations to present.

Q: Are there more interesting features to look out for on the map?

One of the main features of this map is its non-linear design compared to most of the other maps. Each direction forks. Almost all positions allow players to change course and give tactical opportunities to outplay.

Even though the map might be more difficult to play in general, we really hope that its diversity will help create more interesting battle situations.

Earlier Development vs Final Map

More textures and elements were added to the map as development took place. Safe Haven originally had an autumn setting with rain. Earlier versions had eastern elements like pagodas and a Buddhist statue.

The current map features a more industrial look with a spring palette on a sunny day.

Terrain 

Tweaks were made to the terrain. Sharp rocks were replaced with volcanic rocks to reflect an authentic Japanese landscape. Pine trees were added too. 

Art direction included making the pines, trees, fauna, and general elements look as authentic as possible.

The Shrine 

In the east of Safe Haven lies a hill with steps leading to an inaccessible area. A torii gate and a tree bound by a shimenawa rope (which is used to distinguish a sacred object) greet players as they drive through the green fields.

The Harbor 

Post-war business seems to be booming at the harbor of Safe Haven. The area has commercial containers and ship-building cranes carefully designed to give the map the look of a demilitarized town port in 1960s Japan.

The Bunker 

Japanese bunkers were considered during earlier design stages, however, most of them were buried in the ground. References for Japanese industrial bunkers were few.

During development, a bunker with a multi-slope roof was chosen as it is a common design in many countries. The illumination and structures of the walls were made for easy player navigation.

Safe Haven's Early Version

Level Design

Safe Haven can be seen as two large zones - the harbor and the green lands. Vehicles with higher damage can flex their firepower at the harbor. Those with speed can breeze about in the fields while ally tank destroyers and SPGs find nice spots where they could lie low and ambush.

Heatmaps

Ready to plan for your next battle in Safe Haven? Check these areas. Colored squares represent vehicle presence. Larger squares represent areas where vehicles tend to stay at for longer periods of time.

Distribution between both teams

 

Potential vehicle positions for west team (yellow markings) and east team (blue markings)

Heavy Tanks

 

Potential positions of heavy tanks

Medium Tanks

 

Potential positions of medium tanks

Light Tanks

 

Potential positions of light tanks

Tank Destroyers

 

Potential positions of tank destroyers

SPGs

 

Potential positions of SPGs

 

Inspiration

The overall concept was based on many elements. Here are some pictures of subjects from the devs' mood board while they were designing Safe Haven.

 

 
 
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