Along with all the new options comes a new game mode, Push. With Assault removed from the map pool for Overwatch 2, Push is now the fourth competitive game mode, joining Escort, Hybrid, and Control. If you’re new to Overwatch or just want to brush up on Push, this guide has you covered on everything you need to know to enjoy Overwatch’s latest mode.
How Does Push Work?
At its core, Push is not much of a departure from the existing game modes we already have in Overwatch. Like Control, Push starts teams on opposite sides of a neutral battlefield. The basic gameplay is often similar to Escort, with teams fighting over an objective that moves based on which side has control.
The objective in Push is a neutral robot called TS-1, aka Pushbot. To encourage players to fight for positioning at the outset of a match, TS-1 doesn’t unlock and begin moving until 30 seconds have passed. Once a team has cleared all its opponents away from the bot, it will begin pushing toward the opponents’ spawn.
Image courtesy of Blizzard Entertainment.
Each team has its own barrier that players attempt to push as far as possible. If a team can push their barrier all the way to the opponents’ spawn area, then they earn the victory. If neither team reaches that point, the winner is the team that pushes the furthest and gains control of TS-1 after time expires.
Along the way, there is a single checkpoint about halfway between the starting point and player spawn that unlocks a closer spawn for the team that moves TS-1 beyond this point. The forward spawn is lost if the bot is pushed back to its initial starting location at the center of the map.
While pushing a barrier, TS-1 moves at a pretty slow pace that can be increased somewhat by having three teammates on the objective. When the opposing team takes control of the bot, it moves quickly back toward their barrier before returning to its glacial pace to push.
Matches often operate like a tug-of-war, with both sides making incremental progress unless one side is able to string together several fights in a row. Even in those cases, the spawn advantage is massive as the barrier approaches either endpoint. A full completion is rare, because a team usually only needs a couple of eliminations to hold off a push,
What Are the Push Maps?
Overwatch 2 is releasing with three maps available for Push, including the game’s newest map, Esperança. New Queen Street and Colosseo made their debut during the first Overwatch 2 beta in April.
Esperança sees players fight their way through the formerly peaceful streets of a beautiful Portuguese mountain city. Based in part on the home of the game’s lead environment artist, Esperança is another addition to Overwatch’s roster of vibrant locales.
Tactically, Esperança is quite large and offers a number of different ways to traverse the map. Flankers will see tons of success here if they can collapse on opposing teams from a variety of angles. The map also features several long sightlines and a gradual incline toward the center of the map, so snipers should be pretty effective as well.
Image courtesy of Blizzard Entertainment.
New Queen Street was the first Push map revealed with the announcement of Overwatch 2 and is the first Canadian map for the franchise. Here, TS-1 winds its way through the streets of downtown Toronto. Teams on the backfoot will have constant high ground to aid in their defense, but most fighting tends to happen at close quarters. Picks like Junker Queen, Reaper, and Tracer can excel here with the right positioning and timing.
The final Push map, Colosseo, takes players to Rome to fight where the gladiators once stood. This map plays pretty straightforward compared to other Push maps. Long sightlines make flanking a little more difficult, and heroes with range have a little more room to work with. Additionally, high ground for the defenders makes actually reaching the checkpoint very difficult unless you can win fights decisively.
General Tips for Push
Know when to regroup. This is true across Overwatch, but especially for Push. The game mode encourages constant fighting, making it easy for teams to trickle into the fray one by one. Push is all about momentum, so make sure you have your teammates around you and don’t take fights if the numbers are heavily against you.
Take space while pushing. TS-1 doesn’t move all that quickly while pushing the barrier. Oftentimes, you’ll be better served pushing ahead with three or four players while one keeps the bot moving. If you can catch an enemy alone or secure a strong position for the next fight, that can be much more valuable than a few more meters pushed.
Play the timer. If you jump out to an early lead in terms of distance pushed, you can use that to your advantage. You don’t have to complete the map to get the win. Controlling high grounds and choke points can be the key to success, so be aware when you can give some ground or draw out ultimates to make a future fight easier.
Understand the ult economy. Another fundamental part of Overwatch gets amplified by Push. As you push toward the enemy spawn, fights will get harder. Multiple ultimates are often needed to reach the checkpoint or approach the finish line. Knowing what ultimates are available on both sides will help you make decisions about which fights are worth committing to.
Mind the flanks. No matter what role you’re playing, flanking is going to be a pivotal part of most Push games. Heroes like Tracer, Sombra, and Genji can take over if given free reign, so even backline heroes and tanks need to keep an eye on the edges of the battlefield to keep those mobile heroes in check.
