Mastering the Push: Optimal Pathing Strategies for Attackers in Overwatch 2
Overwatch 2’s Push mode is a dynamic and often chaotic game type that demands strategic nuance, mechanical skill, and, most importantly, superior map control. Unlike escort or hybrid maps where the path is linear, Push maps are symmetrical, featuring a central robot that both teams must fight over to guide toward the enemy’s base. For the attacking team—the one currently controlling the robot—understanding and controlling the optimal path is the difference between a dominant victory and a frustrating defeat. This guide will break down the core principles of optimal pathing for attackers on both Push maps, New Queen Street and Colosseo, providing a strategic framework to maximize your efficiency and secure the win.
The Philosophy of Push Pathing: Why the "Optimal Path" Isn't Always Straight
The most common mistake attackers make is assuming the shortest geometric path between two points is the best. In Overwatch 2, the optimal path is the one that provides the greatest safety, map control, and positional advantage for your team. The robot will always try to walk the most direct route, but it’s your team’s job to create a "safe corridor" for it. This often means taking slight detours to secure key high grounds and chokepoints, forcing the enemy to fight on your terms.
Core Principles for Attackers:
- Speed is Key, but Not Recklessness: The initial fight to gain the robot is critical. The faster you secure it and begin pushing, the less time the enemy has to set up a defense. However, once you have control, over-extending ahead of your team and the robot is a recipe for disaster. Stay grouped and use the robot as a moving shield.
- Control the High Ground: This is the golden rule of Overwatch and is paramount in Push. High ground offers superior sightlines, natural cover, and makes you harder to hit. A team controlling the high ground above the robot dictates the pace of the fight.
- Secure the "Next" Corner: The robot’s path is a series of long lanes and sharp corners. Your goal is to always be thinking one corner ahead. Before the robot even rounds its current corner, your tank and mobile DPS should be proactively scouting and clearing the next area of the path. This prevents your team from walking blindly into an ambush.
- Use the Robot as a Shield: The TS-1 robot is a large, indestructible object. Use it to block key enemy abilities and sightlines. Peek from behind it to apply pressure, then retreat to its safety to reload or receive healing.
Map-Specific Breakdowns
New Queen Street (Toronto)
This map features a long initial tunnel, a central open square, and a final bridge approach.
- The Starting Tunnel (First Checkpoint): The initial push out of the spawn tunnel is a critical choke. As attackers, you must quickly clear the enemy from the small room on the left and the high ground platform on the right. Optimal Path: Do not simply walk down the middle. Have your tank take space forward while a flanker (e.g., Tracer, Sojourn) pressures the enemy from the left-side server room. Controlling the right-side high ground platform as you exit the tunnel gives your snipers and supports a tremendous advantage.
- The Main Square (Mid-Push): This is a vast, open area with multiple levels. The direct path is through the middle, but this exposes you to fire from all angles.
- Optimal Path: The strongest route is to take the right-side path under the canopy. This provides natural cover from the enemy spawn side and allows your team to access the high-ground balcony overlooking the point. From this balcony, you can control the entire square and safely push the robot across. Avoid the left side, as it funnels you into a more vulnerable position.
- The Final Bridge (The Home Stretch): The last stretch involves pushing the robot across a long bridge. This is a notorious choke point.
- Optimal Path: Before committing to the bridge, you must clear the enemy from the cafe on the right and the flanking route on the left. Pushing the robot straight down the bridge without map control is suicide. Use heroes with shields (Reinhardt, Sigma) or terrain-creating abilities (Mei’s Wall) to create safe space for the cross. A clever strategy is to have a mobile hero flank through the left-side building to pressure the enemy from behind as your main team pushes.
Colosseo (Rome)
Colosseo is defined by its large central colosseum and long, winding flank routes.
- The Initial Streets (First Checkpoint): The fight begins in narrow streets. The direct path is through the central archway, but this is a predictable killing zone.
- Optimal Path: The most powerful route is to immediately break right through the large building. This route offers cover and leads directly to a health pack and a staircase to the high ground. Controlling this high ground above the first corner allows you to drop onto the enemy as they try to contest the robot and gives you a commanding view of the first major tunnel.
- The Long Underpass (Mid-Push): After the first checkpoint, the robot enters a long, dark tunnel. This area is a brawler's paradise.
- Optimal Path: Speed is crucial here. Use mobility cooldowns to quickly traverse the tunnel as a unit. However, do not neglect the small side rooms—they often hide flanking enemies waiting to pick off your supports. A Lucio’s Speed Boost is incredibly valuable for swiftly moving your team through this vulnerable section.
- The Colosseum (The Final Arena): The end of the map is a large, circular arena. The direct path is across the center, but the high ground surrounding it is the true objective.
- Optimal Path: Whoever controls the high ground ring, wins the fight. Do not drop into the pit prematurely. Push the robot to the edge of the arena, but have your entire team take the ramps up to the high ground. From here, you can easily shoot down onto any enemy trying to contest the robot below. You force the enemy to either fight you at a disadvantage on the high ground or be farmed for ultimate charge in the pit. Use the robot’s position to draw the enemy out into the open where you can pick them off.
Hero Selection Synergy
Your pathing strategy is directly tied to your team composition.
- Brawl Comps (Reinhardt, Mei, Reaper): Excel in tight corridors and tunnels (e.g., Colosseo's underpass). Their optimal path is the most direct one, using raw power to overwhelm the enemy at close range.
- Poke Comps (Sigma, Sojourn, Widowmaker): Thrive on long sightlines and high ground. Their path is defined by taking off-angles and controlling lanes from a distance, making the balconies on New Queen Street and the high ground on Colosseo their preferred route.
- Dive Comps (Winston, Tracer, Genji): Their path is the most fluid. They ignore the main path to directly attack high-value targets on the high ground, creating space for the robot to move freely underneath.
Conclusion: The Path to Victory
Winning the Push mode as an attacker is not about blindly following the robot. It’s a game of chess played on a dynamic battlefield. The optimal path is a living concept, changing with each team fight and hero pick. By internalizing the principles of high-ground control, proactive corner-clearing, and map-specific routes, you can transform from a passive participant into a strategic leader. Communicate with your team, call out the next position to secure, and guide your mechanical friend to victory one smart corner at a time. Remember, you’re not just pushing a robot; you’re pushing the enemy out of their positions of power.
