Fans of Overwatch 2 finally got a look at a new game mode for the hero shooter last month, but Blizzard has already dropped some bad news regarding the launch of the territory-focused Flashpoint mode. The new game mode was first revealed during the Overwatch 2: Invasion trailer that premiered during the Xbox Games Showcase in June, and has given players something to look forward to as the release of the game's next season comes into view.
Many fans feel that a wide variety of game modes is something that Overwatch 2 lacks, with players generally repeating the same few objectives in matches since the original game released all the way back in 2016. The launch of Overwatch 2 saw the addition of one new game mode in the form of Push, though this new map format has been quite poorly received by the game's community since the sequel released. Though Push is significantly different in terms of mechanics, some fans also view it as a sort of replacement for the Assault game mode that was outright removed in the sequel.
Flashpoint seems to be a more accurate depiction of Overwatch 2's long-lost Assault mode, however, with this upcoming game mode tasking players with securing a total of three key positions across a map and pitting teams against each other in a fight over territory. This new game mode will no doubt bring a breath of fresh air for players, though executive producer Jared Neuss recently dropped some bad news for Flashpoint during a Q&A live stream hosted by retired pro player Emongg. During this stream, Neuss confirmed that the Flashpoint game mode will not be available in competitive from the get-go, stating that fans will be "waiting a little bit" before the mode goes live in ranked matches.
Neuss goes on to state that "it's a brand-new mode, and we haven't played it in scale with millions of people," claiming that the decision to initially exclude it from competitive was made so that any potential bugs could be dealt with before they affect players in ranked matches. This isn't too surprising, considering that Blizzard typically employs a similar practise by temporarily excluding newly-added Overwatch 2 heroes from competitive for much the same reason. This also allows fans some time to learn to play new characters before taking them into potentially high-stake matches. For fans who want competitive play to feel fresh in Season 6, however, this information will surely be disappointing.
As exciting as Flashpoint may be, many are cautiously optimistic about how it might play, with some Overwatch 2 fans concerned about the game mode repeating mistakes made by the game's earlier Push mode. With yet another new hero coming with the game's next season, not to mention the launch of some of Overwatch 2's first proper PvE content, fans surely have a lot to look forward to when Season 6 rolls around on August 15.
Overwatch 2 is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
