Any time Overwatch 2 adds a new mode, there is a lot of back and forth in the community about whether or not it’s a worthy addition. We’ve already seen Clash get added and removed from Competitive, and opinions on Flashpoint have been mixed to say the least. At the start of Season 17, the newest map Aatlis is the third Flashpoint environment added to the map pool, and Blizzard have now revealed how it is changing the previous two Flashpoint maps this midseason. Here is how the Flashpoint Maps are being reworked in Overwatch 2.
Overwatch 2 Flashpoint Maps Reworked Rundown
Suravasa Changes
For Suravasa’s changes, the emphasis has been put on the streets and ruins area, though other areas have been adjusted as well.
One of the biggest changes that the blog post mentions for the Flashpoint maps reworks is that Suravasa’s streets will be less cluttered and the initial spawn points will be easier to move through without that small building in the way. Sightlines will be a little more opened up in these areas. A big focus is on clutter and unused side areas being removed from the map to make it easier to traverse. Some people seem to have an issue with navigating Suravasa because it has a lot of cars and various objects in the pathways to the objectives, but Blizzard is also adding more art and lighting near entrances to buildings, so you don’t actually jump into a room that leads nowhere.
On the ruins side, there’s a new water fountain area that’s a bit more wide open than what was there previously. There’s also an additional pathway to get to the temple from the ruins point, so now there’s not just one way to get there. Across the other points, you can expect various new boxes for reaching high ground and various adjustments to cover.
New Junk City Changes
New Junk City got quite a few more adjustments to it than Suravasa. The main focus here is to open things up a little more so there’s less of a reliance on chokepoints. For example, the entrance to the arena is changing with a wider entry way and slimmer column inside. The under pathways will also be able to see onto the point with new grating, but they cannot shoot through it.
The point with the most changes is the ducts, which has a new entrance area and flank path. The blog notes how it always felt like everyone in the lobby gets pushed through the same funnel points in this area and we agree. Hopefully, the changes here will help make this a better fighting point.
Cover is being reworked pretty hard in the bomb flats area, with a focus on making the point harder to defend after you take control of it. As it stand now, this is one of the harder places to take back control of when the enemy team takes it.
In the junkyard, chokepoints are being widened, and new ramps are added to the upper area in the center of this battleground to make moving around a bit easier.
The refinery doors are also being widened to lessen the impact of holding those chokepoints. The cylinders that sit on both sides of the point here also have a little bit of cover for those squishy characters trying to run for safety.
Point Selection Change
While there are a lot of new elements to get used to with Suravasa and New Junk City, the Flashpoint map reworks don’t stop there. When the midseason update drops, the way points are selected will now be tweaked. After the initial point is captured, the next point will always be closer to the losing side’s spawn. Not only does this give them a slight edge to get set up to fight for the second point, but it also helps cutdown on the running it takes to get to that second point.
Overall, we are interested to see how Flashpoint plays after the maps are reworked. Sure, we’re a little burnt out on them from them being the only maps available for so long in this mode, but now that we have Aatlis and these changes are coming, hopefully, this will become a more enjoyable Overwatch mode.
