Overwatch 2 Removes Its Newest Mode From Competitive Play

Overwatch 2 has what Blizzard calls “groundbreaking changes” on the way next month, but before that, it has a smaller, welcome one in the pipeline. Clash, introduced in season 12, is Overwatch 2’s newest game mode. As director Aaron Keller describes it, the mode was inspired by the original hero shooter’s two-point capture maps, and was meant to give players a mode in which they could shift rapidly between attacking and defending objectives. After feedback from players, however, Blizzard has decided to temporarily remove it from the game’s ranked play in season 15.

In a new Director’s Take blog, Keller says that the team wants to reexamine the Clash mode and see if it can make it feel more fair. He notes in his write-up that the mode feels unbalanced compared to the rest in the game. If one team manages to steamroll another and keep that momentum going, a Clash match can end almost as quickly as it began. This is unlike most Overwatch 2 modes in which, even if you start the match on the wrong foot, you feel like regrouping with your team for a coordinated push can still win you the round. While the team sorts out what changes it wants to make, Clash will stay in quickplay rotation, meaning you can still play the mode if you’re not trying to climb up the ranks. Fans seem pretty jazzed about this, as several have found Clash to be lopsided and frustrating. Keller’s full explanation reads as follows:

Speaking of game modes, we want to take a moment on what to expect for Clash in Quick Play and Competitive. This past year, we introduced Clash, which was inspired by the original Assault maps, but gave players a chance to attack and defend throughout the course of the match. Clash has had some really good matches, but we’ve also seen a lot of constructive feedback. Right now, Clash has a few problems, with some matches having a team steamroll and ending much faster than a typical Overwatch game. It can also be confusing as to which point is active for some players. So starting in Season 15, Clash maps are going to be removed out of Competitive Play, as we take the time to look at these maps and work to find ways to deliver the best Competitive experience for all of our players. We’ll keep you updated on the progress we make there. In the meantime, we are going to keep Clash in Quick Play and other unranked game modes.

Overwatch 2’s 15th season begins on February 18, which will be shortly after Blizzard hosts the Overwatch 2 Spotlight event on February 12. The team is promising something big for the game, which it desperately needs right now as it’s been struggling to regain lost ground after Marvel Rivals blew up in December.