An Overwatch 2 panel with a focus on “What’s Next?” took the stage at BlizzCon 2023 on Nov. 4 and revealed the series will be revisiting Japan in a familiar way. Hanaoka—set one street over from the first game’s Hanamura—is the first map to feature the new Clash Mode.
Following the release of Overwatch 2, Hanamura was only available for play in Arcade Mode or custom games as Assault, affectionately referred to as 2CP by fans, was left behind in the game’s prequel. Hanaoka translates to “flower hill” in Japanese and possesses the essence of its neighboring street. In fact, it’s so close that buildings from Hanamura are visible in the background of the map.
An official Overwatch 2 video uploaded to Twitter on Nov. 4 gives a sneak preview of what players can expect to find in Hanaoka. Cherry blossom trees are in abundance with the map maintaining the architecture and overall aesthetic of the Shimada hunting ground. It’s nostalgic, to say the least.
The aesthetics aren’t the only thing that is brought back, however, as the new game mode marks the return of capture points. Five capture points are in a straight line across the map, identical on both sides—it’s King of The Hill times five. Similar to the Push game mode, it’s like a round of tug-of-war.
Only one point will be active at a time. At the top of a match, both teams will aim for the middle capture point. By standing in the center of the point uncontested, teams will be able to claim it as their own. After the initial point is captured, the next capture point for the losing team will be available to take, and so on.
The winner is decided when one team captures all five points or achieves the maximum score.
With the impending release of Mauga and other heroes teased, there’s plenty to be excited for if you’re an Overwatch player. As Hanamura makes a return, there’s hope that other retired Assault maps such as Temple of Anubis and Volskaya Industries may see the light of day again soon.
