How Clash mode works in Overwatch 2, including all maps, PvP rules & more

At BlizzCon 2023, the Overwatch 2 team announced a brand new PvP mode for the game called Clash. After seemingly being in the concept phase for over a decade now, Clash will look to revamp some of the old 2CP maps that were lost to the aether after jumping from Overwatch 1 to 2.

While there’s still plenty to be unveiled around Clash, there’s still plenty to discuss regarding which maps we can expect to see, as well as how the PvP ruleset will actually work.

How does Clash work in Overwatch 2?

Click to enlarge

Clash will be a PvP mode playable in both Quick Play and Competitive rulesets when it launches, and it essentially sees teams battle for ground across five individual capture points laid out in a row. If you’ve ever played Frontlines in the Battlefield games, it operates in a similar manner.

Teams will begin by fighting over a capture point in the middle of the map. After this has been captured, the objective will then move along the row of points. Teams fight over each of these points in turn, with the battleground moving further forwards or backwards along the line depending on who wins each point.

Once a team captures all five points or reaches a currently undisclosed maximum score, they will win. As such, players will need to both attack and defend their territory to ensure they finish the match as a win.

The exact rule set of Clash is still subject to change ahead of release. We will update this guide if anything changes.

Which maps will Clash feature on?

Click to enlarge

So far, we only know about one map that Clash will feature on in Overwatch 2, and that’s Hanaoka. 

Eagle-eyed fans will notice that this bears a significant resemblance to Hanamura, one of the original 2CP maps from the first release of Overwatch. However, rest assured that this is a brand new map, custom-built for the new Clash mode.

Hanaoka is the only map that’s been announced for Clash so far, but we can likely expect other maps to follow. Volskaya Industries and Temple of Anubis are other classic 2CP maps that we could see being adapted into Clash maps, but the Overwatch team has yet to divulge any information there.

Do we know when Clash will be playable?

We do not know when Clash launch in Overwatch 2, but Blizzard did say that it expects the mode to arrive sometime in 2024.

This will likely align with some of the other big changes coming to Overwatch 2 in 2024, including an overhaul to the competitive system, changes to the Battle Pass, and the introduction of at least two new heroes.

For more helpful Overwatch 2 guides, be sure to check out our homepage. We’ve got a rundown of the latest Tank hero, Mauga, as well as an explainer on the current player count for Overwatch 2.