Control point (objective)

A RED-owned Control Point.

This article is about the game objective. For the game mode, see Control Point (game mode).

“

Standing near ze point does nussing. Get ON ze point, dummkopf! Click to listen — The Medic

”

Control Points (also known as capture points or simply points) are used as the main objective in Control Point, Territorial Control, and King of the Hill maps, a secondary objective in Arena and Versus Saxton Hale maps, and a similar variant appears in Payload maps. In appearance, they are circular metallic platforms with a team-colored light in the center with their team logo hologrammed above it (neutral points have a white light and a question mark above them).

Gameplay

Main article: Control Point (game mode)

There are three statuses for a Control Point:

• 

  Neutral: The Control Point can be taken by either team (usually the central point in a standard CP map).

• 

  Captured: The Control Point is currently owned by the RED team, but can be retaken by the BLU team.

• 

  Locked: The Control Point is currently owned by the RED team and cannot be retaken by the BLU team.

Offense

Control Points are captured by standing on top of them. The speed at which a Control Point is captured depends on how many players from the capturing team are present on the point: two BLU players capturing a RED point capture that point faster than only one BLU player would. Scouts count as two players, as do Soldiers and Demomen wielding the Pain Train, and Saxton Hale counts as three players. There is a limit on how fast a Control Point can be captured (see Control Point timing). A Spy is allowed to capture a point while disguised as a friendly player but do not gain the aforementioned capture rate buffs from disguises.

Defense

If players from both teams are on the same, unlocked Control Point, that point is said to be contested, which means no progress is made toward the point changing team control. When players from the offensive team are removed from the point, all of their progress is lost gradually over time, not immediately.

Reverting a capture

When a Control Point is neutral and both teams are trying to capture it, captures can be reverted. If a team begins, but does not finish, to capture a neutral point and then is driven off, when the other team begins to capture that point, they first have to "revert" the progress that the first team made before they can begin to make progress of their own. The revert rate increases in speed with more players of the second team standing on the point.

Limitations

• Disguised Spies cannot block a capture if they are disguised as the team capturing the point, and cannot capture a point if they are disguised as the enemy team.
• Cloaked Spies can not defend or capture a Control Point.
• ÜberCharged players cannot capture points, but can block enemy captures. Note that Quick-Fix ÜberCharged players can neither capture or block points; Kritzkrieg and Vaccinator ÜberCharged players can still capture and defend points.
• Scouts under the effects of Bonk! Atomic Punch can neither block enemy captures nor capture points themselves.
• The Rocket Jumper and Sticky Jumper do not block point capture, they only prevent the wielder from carrying the intelligence.

Gallery

• 

  A neutral Control Point on Granary.

• 

  A RED-owned Control Point on Granary.

• 

  A BLU-owned Control Point on Granary.

Related achievements

General achievements

Impenetrable Defense Successfully defend Dustbowl without giving up a capture. Impossible Defense Successfully defend Gravel Pit without giving up a capture.

Relentless Offense Win Hydro without giving up a capture.

 Scout

Block the Plate Block 50 point captures. Brushback Stun 50 enemies while they are capturing a point or pushing the cart. Set the Table Initiate 10 point captures that ultimately succeed.

Side Retired Capture the last point in a CP map. Stealing Home Start capping a capture point within a second of it becoming available. Triple Play Capture three capture points in a row in one life.

 Soldier

Hamburger Hill Defend a cap point 30 times.

 Pyro

Controlled Burn Ignite 50 enemies capturing one of your control points.

 Demoman

The High Road Sticky jump onto a cap point and capture it.

 Heavy

Gorky Parked Kill 25 enemies while you're standing on a control point you own.

Purge Kill 15 enemies capturing a control point you own.

 Engineer

No Man's Land Use a sentry gun to kill 25 enemy players that are capturing a point.

 Medic

Preventive Medicine Block the enemy from capturing a control point with an ÜberCharged teammate.

Ubi concordia, ibi victoria Assist in killing 3 enemies on an enemy control point, in a single life.

 Sniper

Not a Crazed Gunman, Dad In a single life, kill 3 enemies while they are achieving an objective.

 Spy

On Her Majesty's Secret Surface Start capping a capture point within a second of it becoming available. Point Breaker Kill 15 enemies who are standing on a control point they own.

Is It Safe? Backstab 50 enemies who are capturing control points.

Foundry achievements

Real Steal Win a round in which the enemy team has attempted to capture your final control point. Cap Trap Kill an enemy who is capturing a control point with a critical hit. Claim Jumper Capture a control point within 12 seconds after exiting a teleporter.

Dead Heat Play through a back-and-forth battle for 15 control point captures. Five the Fast Way Capture the final control point within five seconds of your team capturing the previous control point.

Powerhouse achievements

Balance of Power Win a round in which the enemy team has attempted to capture your final control point. Power Down Kill 15 enemies while they are capturing a point.

Power Trip Capture the final control point within 15 seconds of your team capturing the previous control point.

Update history

April 29, 2008 Patch (Gold Rush Update)

• Spies disguised as their own team can now capture Control Points
• Fixed rare client crash on level change during Control Point capturing

March 1, 2012 Patch

• Fixed a case where capturing a point in Overtime would end the round before time could be added

November 29, 2012 Patch

• Fixed missing materials in the Control Point HUD on attack/defend maps

December 17, 2015 Patch (Tough Break Update)

• Players can no longer capture objectives while under the effects of Quick-Fix ÜberCharge.

April 12, 2018 Patch

• Fixed being able to capture Control Points during setup time.

Trivia

• Despite not contributing to the progress of capturing a point, ÜberCharged players and Disguised Spies still gain credit for capping the Control Point if they are on it when the capture completes.

See also

• Intelligence, the objective in Capture the Flag games.
• Carts, the objective in Payload games.
• Control point timing
• The trigger_capture_area and team_control_point entities on the VDC.