Overwatch 2 Flashpoint PvP mode explained: How to play & all maps
If you're checking out Season 6 of Overwatch 2 for the first time, you might be wondering what Flashpoint is. This new Overwatch 2 PvP mode offering is far different from most other modes in the game, so it's helpful to know the basics before diving into it. With that, let's go over how to play Flashpoint in Overwatch 2.
- Here are the full patch notes for Overwatch 2 Season 6
What is Flashpoint in Overwatch 2?
Click to enlargeFlashpoint is a brand-new PvP core game mode available with Overwatch 2: Invasion. Flashpoint plays like a Control/King of the Hill hybrid in which two teams battle over key points on the map, appropriately labelled flashpoints. The first team to capture three flashpoints claims victory!
Flashpoint is accessible in Quick Play and Competitive Play.
Overwatch 2 Flashpoint Maps
Click to enlargeTo support the grand Flashpoint Mode, Blizzard Entertainment erected a couple of entirely new maps. These are now the game's biggest PvP maps.
At launch, New Junk City and Suravasa serve as the map pool for Flashpoint. New Junk City is located in Central Australia, near Junkertown. Suravasa is a village in India across the river from Roshani.
Due to the great size of the Flashpoint maps, the map architects focused on adding eye-catching landmarks at important points of interest to make it easier for players to tell where they are on the map and where they're supposed to go. Because the Flashpoint maps are so large, the art team had plenty of opportunity to squeeze in elements and props fitting to the theme and narrative of the maps.
While the Flashpoint maps are nonlinear, asymmetric experiences altogether, to ensure each control point in Flashpoint is balanced and fair, all flashpoints have symmetrical layouts. The central flashpoint will always be the first active control point in Flashpoint, but after that, the remaining flashpoints will unlock in random order.
As you could probably guess, creating Flashpoint maps is a serious undertaking. Flashpoint only has two maps so far, but expect additional maps to get added in future updates!
- Overwatch 2's new hero, Illari, excels in Flashpoint
How to play Flashpoint in Overwatch 2
Click to enlargeAs of Season 6, you can play Flashpoint in both Quick Play and Competitive Play. We touched on it earlier, but the objective in Flashpoint is to be the first team to capture three points called flashpoints.
The initial flashpoint in a match of Flashpoint will appear in the centre of the map. After that flashpoint is captured, a random flashpoint somewhere else on the map will open for the taking.
Because of the large-scale maps, there's a major emphasis on rotating and navigating the map properly in Flashpoint. To be successful, you will need to know the fastest routes to the various flashpoints and strategise around getting to new flashpoints early and hampering your opponents from assembling on a flashpoint.
That's the gist of how to play Flashpoint in Overwatch 2. Use your newfound knowledge of Flashpoint to crush your foes in Overwatch 2's brand-new PvP core gamemode.
Even if you have played Overwatch 2 before, you might find some value in the Overwatch 2 Hero Starter Pack