Skip to main content

Blizzard finally caves, offers deathmatch modes in 'Overwatch'

Up until now, Blizzard’s Overwatch has been an objective-based shooter. On some maps, teams simply try to control certain areas, while on others, they’re tasked with pushing or stopping a payload from advancing. However, for those more interested in just blasting their friends with Hanzo or Soldier: 76, you now have your chance. Two deathmatch modes have been made available in the game’s Public Test Region on PC.

Available within the Arcade in Overwatch, the basic deathmatch mode sees eight players dueling to the death in a free-for-all format, attempting to be the first to reach 20 points. Unlike the other Overwatch modes, you’ll only be awarded an elimination if you actually deal the final blow to an enemy. Dying from environmental hazards like open pits or cliffs will remove one point from your score. Nine total maps will be available for this mode: Hanamura, Horizon Lunar Colony, Temple of Anubis, Volskaya Industries, Dorado, Eichenwalde, Hollywood, King’s Row, and the new Château Guillard. The home of Widowmaker, this French estate resembles buildings seen in the Dishonored series, and it should provide some close-range combat opportunities, which is ironic, given that the Widowmaker is a sniper.

Recommended Videos

A four-on-four team deathmatch is also available, and sees each team trying to reach 30 points. The rules are roughly the same as the standard deathmatch, but with one twist that seems to be inspired by the Battlefield series. If you manage to get revived by your teammates, the enemy team will lose one point. In addition to the maps included in the deathmatch mode, team deathmatch will also have access to Black Forest, Castillo, Ecopoint: Antarctica, and Necropolis.

Both free-for-all and team deathmatch will also support custom games. In a developer update video, game director Jeff Kaplan explained that during testing, Blizzard loved to limit all players to one character, such as McCree or Hanzo. This could fundamentally change how people play the game, as they can no longer rely on “counter-picks” in order to maximize a character’s effectiveness.

What do you think about deathmatch in Overwatch? Are you ready to kick some ass as Winston, or will you try to win it all with Junkrat? Let us know in the comments!

Gabe Gurwin
Gabe Gurwin has been playing games since 1997, beginning with the N64 and the Super Nintendo. He began his journalism career…
Overwatch 2 is collaborating with Transformers, and it looks radical
overwatch 2 transfomers crossover teaser transformers reinhardt

Overwatch 2 x Transformers Collaboration Trailer | PS5 & PS4 Games

The long-awaited Transformers and Overwatch 2 collaboration is almost here. Blizzard Entertainment released a cinematic trailer on Monday teasing the crossover and introducing new skins.

Read more
Overwatch 2’s packed Season 11 update brings new map, legendary skins
Mercy in her rose gold outfit. Her hair is strawberry blonde with pink tips and her outfit is different shades of pink.

Blizzard is celebrating 100 million players in Overwatch 2 by bringing back a fan-favorite skin, along with a new map and other changes for its 11th season that launches on June 20.

In an announcement Monday, the studio revealed that the theme of Season 11 will be Super Mega Ultrawatch, where players can unlock superhero-themed Legendary Ultrawatch skins and go up against the evil and magical Mythic Calamity Empress Ashe and B.O.B. These skins for Genji, Repaer, and Sojourn will be available in the Season 11 premium battle pass.

Read more
Overwatch 2’s story-driven PvE missions are being abandoned by Blizzard
A giant turret in set up in Gothenburg in Overwatch 2's story missions.

Overwatch 2 finally got some of its long-awaited PvE content last August, but it doesn't look like more is on the way, according to some new reports.

Earlier this week, a story from Kotaku indicated that the future of Overwatch 2's story-driven PvE missions was in question after the first batch of missions, which were released as paid DLC for a free-to-play game and sold poorly. Now, a new report from Bloomberg affirms that. As part of a newsletter outlining wider frustrations Blizzard's developers have with how the company ties profit-sharing bonuses to the performance of games that specific teams make, Bloomberg touched on how the Overwatch 2 team's bonuses were negatively impacted by the failure of the PvE content. A lot of that PvE team was apparently laid off in January when Microsoft cut 1,900 games-related jobs, and sources now tell Bloomberg that Blizzard does not plan to finish its previously planned PvE content.

Read more