There are currently seven types of game modes available in Overwatch, with 4 available in regular competitive or quick play – Assault, Control, Escort, Hybrid, while Capture the Flag, Deathmatch and Elimination are available from the Arcade or the Game Browser. In addition, during seasonal events, a special game mode might be available. The upcoming mode Push will be a regular game mode, playable in Competitive Play and Quick Play.
Assault
- Main article: Assault
Assault is a game mode in which the attacking team must take two capture points, while the defending team attempts to prevent them until the time runs out. When the first capture point is captured, the timer will increase and both teams spawning locations will move. Overtime will be triggered if the point is being contested by the attacking team, for as long they are on the point. Each Capture point is divided into three segments, representing a capture % checkpoint.
Assault maps
Control
- Main article: Control
Control is a game mode in which two teams fight over a capture point in a best-of-two format. While a team is controlling a capture point, they will make progress toward 100% completion. Whichever team reaches 100% first wins the round. Overtime will be triggered if one team has reached 99% while the point is being contested by the other team, for as long as they are on the point. This game mode does not have a time limit, unlike others. All three rounds are located in the same location, with each round located in a different area of the map and featuring a new capture point. The more teammates in a capture point will increase the capture speed with a cap of 3. A fourth teammate will have no effect on capture speed.
Control maps
Escort
- Main article: Escort
Escort is a game mode in which the attacking team must escort a payload to a delivery point, while the defending team attempts to prevent them until the time runs out. Each maps has between 2-3 check points between the starting position and delivery point which when reached, will increase the timer and move both teams spawning locations. Overtime will be triggered if the payload is being contested by the attacking team, for as long they are near the payload.
Escort maps
Hybrid
- Main article: Hybrid
Hybrid is a game mode in which combines two types of other game modes. Currently, the only hybrid maps available are those that start with an Assault capture point and continue with an Escort objective. These sections behave exactly as their stand-alone game modes do.
Hybrid maps
Push
Push is a game mode releasing alongside Overwatch 2, where both teams fight for control of a robot who pushes the objective into the enemy team's spawn.
Push maps
Capture the Flag
Capture the Flag is a game mode in which there is one flag on each side the of the map, one for each team. The objective is to capture the enemy team's flag and bring it to your team's flag position, while preventing the enemy team of capturing your team's flag. The team that reaches 3 points first or has the most points when the 5-minute timer runs out wins the match.
Capture the Flag maps
Deathmatch
Deathmatch is a game mode in which eight players compete in a free-for-all with the only objective being to eliminate each other. The player who reaches 20 points first or has the highest score when the 10-minute timer runs out will be awarded first place. Win credit is awarded to the top four players of each match. Some of the hybrid and escort maps are modified for play in Deathmatch. Heros can be chosen with no hero limit applying.
A Team Deathmatch variation, uses the same rules as Deathmatch but divides players into 2 teams of 4. Kills are attributed to a team's overall score. The team that reaches 30-points first or has the most points when the 10-minute timer runs out wins the match. The maps Black Forest, Necropolis, and Ecopoint: Antarctica are playable in this mode.
Deathmatch maps
Elimination
Elimination is a game mode in which players fight either alone (1v1) or in teams of three (3v3) or six (6v6) against another group of the same size in a first-to-three format (except in the 1v1 variation which is first-to-five). Once killed, a player cannot re-spawn in that round. The first team to kill all opposing team members wins that round. Heroes played during a winning round cannot be used again.
Elimination maps
Seasonal game modes
Seasonal game modes are available only during each specific season's event. These game modes differ from each other in maps and style.
Unique maps or map modes
- Lúcioball
- Junkenstein's Revenge
- Mei's Snowball Offensive
- Yeti Hunt
- Overwatch Uprising
- Overwatch Retribution
- Overwatch Storm Rising
Trivia
- A Tug of War-type game mode was prototyped internally, but issues with level design prevented further development. The idea may be revisited in the future.[1]
References
- ↑ 2016-09-13, "This is a cool idea and one of our Technical Artists actually prototyped this game mode internally. We had fun playing it but there were some issues. The main issues we ran into were related more to level design then the mode idea so we have this on our "revisit" someday list and hope to try some more prototypes to see if there is something fun we can dig out." Jeff Kaplan. Battle.net Forums. Accessed on 2016-09-15