Overwatch 2 Making Big Changes to Clash

Summary

Overwatch 2 is to revamp Clash mode with a new map layout to address one-sided matches.
Clash was pulled from Competitive Play in Season 15 but may return with changes.
Fans can expect Clash adjustments alongside a new Stadium mode in Overwatch.

Overwatch 2 is making some big changes to the Clash game mode in the future, starting with an experimental new map featuring a different approach to the layout. These adjustments have no timetable, but Overwatch 2 hopes to solve some of the core issues of Clash by introducing fundamental geographical changes to its various maps.

Clash is a fast-paced game mode introduced in Overwatch 2 Season 12, where teams compete in a tug-of-war battle over five different objectives, with the first team that scores five points winning the match. Unfortunately, the Overwatch 2 game mode has been controversial due to how often matches become one-sided.

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That said, Overwatch 2 is not ready to give up on Clash yet. During a recent AMA on Reddit, Overwatch 2 lead gameplay designer Alec Dawson fielded questions from the community, including a question about Clash. The developer explained that Overwatch 2 believed Clash “needed some fundamental geo changes to points A+E to perform better as a Competitive mode.” He also revealed these changes would begin with a new Clash map built “from the ground up with a different approach to the layout,” hoping that the mode’s problems could be fixed.

Overwatch 2 Clash Changes Start with a New Map

The Clash game mode was pulled from Competitive Play in Overwatch 2 Season 15, though it can still appear in Quick Play. Should this new Clash map begin solving Clash’s issues, as Dawson hopes, it could eventually return as a Competitive game mode. However, before that happens, Hanaoka and Throne of Anubis, the two existing maps for the Clash game mode, would likely need to be completely reworked to fit the new design philosophy.

It is hard to say what this map could be, but considering the Hanaoka and Throne of Anubis maps were both reworks of old Assault maps, Overwatch 2 could see Clash remakes of other discontinued maps like Volskaya Industries, Horizon Lunar Colony, or Paris. Alternatively, Tokyo or Atlantic Arcology—two new maps Overwatch 2 revealed during the Spotlight event—could be for Clash, though they will most likely be Control, Escort, Hybrid, Push, or Flashpoint maps.

Though Clash is in a rough spot right now, Overwatch 2 is doing great. The groundbreaking Perks system introduced in Season 15 has received near-universal praise, and Overwatch 2 Season 16 is introducing the new Stadium game mode that promises one of the most drastically different experiences in the game's history. With an exciting itinerary ahead of them for 2025, fans can add these Clash adjustments to their list of things they can look forward to in the future of Overwatch 2.

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