Overwatch 2 Flashpoint mode won’t be available in competitive at launch

Overwatch 2’s executive producer has confirmed that the game’s new mode, Flashpoint, won’t be available in Competitive at launch.

On June 12, 2023, Blizzard Entertainment revealed the next core game mode coming to Overwatch 2 would be called Flashpoint.

According to early details, Flashpoint will essentially be a replacement for the Assault mode. It will consist of teams fighting for control of key positions across a map with the goal of capturing three before the opponent can.

Unfortunately for those Overwatch 2 fans looking to jump into the Flashpoint in Competitive right away, it seems it won’t be accessible from the jump.

Overwatch 2 dev confirms Competitive Flashpoint may take time

The confirmation came from Overwatch 2’s executive producer Jared Neuss during a live stream with OW streamer and retired pro player Emongg.

The Twitch streamer brought on Neuss for a short Q&A session. One of the first questions he asked was whether or not fans could expect to play Flashpoint right away in Competitive.

Neuss responded with a fairly straightforward answer, “As of right now, you’re going to be waiting a little bit.” While this likely wasn’t the answer many fans hoped to hear, he explained the reasoning behind the decision.

“We want [Flashpoint] to be there immediately, but also it’s a brand new mode and we haven’t played it in scale with millions of people,” Neuss said. “So getting the bugs worked out is probably the right thing to do before it goes into Competitive and ruins a bunch of people’s day because there’s something we didn’t realize was there.”

Emongg related it to how Lifeweaver was not available to use in Competitive play for some time after his official release. This was the case so the community could get used to the Hero before taking him into more serious matches.

Neuss acknowledged the team is still trying to find a balance between holding things back from Competitive play until they’re ready for full implementation. But for now, it will take a bit of time after release until Flashpoint is available in Competitive.