The Clash game mode is just one of the new features to come to Overwatch 2 with Season 10, though the arrival of the Hanaoka map for this mode coincides with the temporary removal of the classic map Hanamura due to an issue that wrecked the level's geometry and made it completely unplayable. Although Hanamura doesn't appear in regular Quick Play or Competitive playlists, along with all other Overwatch 2 maps that are part of the old Assault game mode, these levels have nonetheless existed in the game since launch and are accessible via either the Arcade game mode or through custom games.
The tenth season of Overwatch 2 is a notably big one, bringing with it not only a new Damage hero in the form of Venture, but also introducing a variety of awesome new skins based on Overwatch 2's Mirrorwatch event. The season also allows players to jump into the new Clash game mode for a limited time only, with the mode's test trial going on until April 29th. This mode, seemingly based quite heavily on the original game's Assault mode, which was removed from Overwatch 2's standard map rotation, presents both teams with two possible win conditions based on point capture.
New Overwatch 2 Initiative is Great News for Console Players
A new initiative sounds like good news for fans of Overwatch 2 that play Blizzard's hero-shooter on consoles instead of PC.
Overwatch 2's latest game mode seems to have garnered positive reception from players so far, though the introduction of the game mode's only current map - Hanaoka - coincides with the temporary disabling of the older map based in Japan, Hanamura. A clip recently shared online by the user Twurti revealed that Hanamura's map geometry and textures had somehow been completely ruined past the gate that leads to the map's first control point, making the level impossible to play on. Many Overwatch 2 fans were quick to speculate as to how the map's issues may have resulted from the assets being improperly modified for reuse in the similar-looking Hanaoka map, but an official developer response was quick to shed some light on the situation.
Overwatch 2's Lead Level Designer Ryan Smith informed fans that Hanamura was temporarily disabled due to an unrelated lighting issue on the map, claiming that the decision to pull the map from selection was made due to the likelihood of many players revisiting Hanamura in custom games to compare it to the new Hanaoka map that came with Overwatch 2 Season 10, which sports a very similar overall appearance. It's still not entirely clear why some players were able to access the map in this heavily bugged state before it was disabled, though.
Overwatch 2's Clash Game Mode is Just Getting Started
Many fans are hoping that it won't be long before Hanamura is returned to the custom map pool, as the classic Overwatch 2 map still holds a special place in many players' hearts. While Overwatch 2's Clash game mode currently features only the one map, it's sure to receive new maps for fans to play on once the mode officially releases in the future.
Overwatch 2
Overwatch 2 is Blizzard's free-to-play team-based first-person shooter. The title features some new heroes like Junker Queen and Sojourn, as well as returning favorites.
