Overwatch 2’s Flashpoint is a great new addition (and better than Push)

Blizzard released their biggest update ever for Overwatch 2, a content drop called Invasion that’s headlined by a powerful new support hero and a handful of story-driven PvE levels. Flashpoint is the new game mode for Overwatch’s core gameplay that will appeal to long-time players. That mode, inspired by Call of Duty’s Headquarters Pro game type, is a breath of fresh air for Overwatch players who’ve been cycling through many of the same maps and modes for the past 10 months.

Flashpoint, the new Blizzard game mode is the first since Blizzard’s controversial addition of Push to Overwatch 2 that’s been criticized by players for its lengthy amounts of downtime. Push games can seem grueling in comparison to other modes of gameplay (Control, Escape, or Hybrid), due to their large maps, twisting paths, and tug-of wars as players fight to watch over the robot. It’s not uncommon for games of Push to fully run out the game clock.

One of the biggest criticisms of Push is the agonizingly long walk back to the action from a player’s spawn point. Heroic characters without mobility boosters may have to wait up to 30 second for their return. Support players are more likely to get picked off by aggressive opponents at the spawn, making it a much worse experience.

Blizzard still has some work to do on the map and spawn points for Flashpoint. Blizzard designers have boasted that Flashpoint locations ‎New Junk City and Suravasa are the biggest maps the Overwatch team has ever developed — maybe not the selling point the team believes it is when support players are groaning about long, lonely walksFrom spawn, players can watch as their team is shredded in the distance. This is because the structure in 5v5 allows for more players to play. Overwatch 2 teams, there’s a hell of a lot of map for just 10 players.

Image: Blizzard Entertainment

What makes Flashpoint more exciting than a game of Push is the existing maps’ design; they’re stuffed with flank routes and an ever-changing capture point. Flashpoint is already more dynamic and suited to strategic gameplay than Push. If their team has already won (or lost) the capture point, an enterprising Torbjorn player, Illari or Symmetra can start setting up a plan to steal points at the next spawn point.

The capture points are also cleverly designed to give players more entry points into each of the tight-packed combat arenas that cover each map. Chokepoints make it easier to hold or attack spots. This is reminiscent of classic Assault Mode, with fewer frustrations. (If I’m allowed to fantasize here, I would hope that Blizzard’s developers would further repurpose the memorable locations of Hanamura, Temple of Anubis, and Horizon Lunar Colony for future Flashpoint locations.)

Flashpoint is only currently available in Englisch Overwatch 2’s Quick Play modes and the Arcade. Players can pop in and out of matches to experiment with the new mode, which means few players are taking it “seriously” right now. Flashpoint is also being played in a way that it should be: by forming a team. When Flashpoint comes to Competitive play (and the Overwatch League later this month), and players start to memorize the layouts of the mode’s very large and complex maps, we’ll see the true test of Flashpoint’s design.