As a seasoned Overwatch player since its launch back in 2016, I can hardly contain my excitement for this latest announcement – Overwatch Classic! After years of longing for the good old days with 6v6 matches and the original roster of heroes, Blizzard has finally heard our prayers.


Following numerous suggestions and previews, Blizzard has formally unveiled Overwatch Classic – an innovative Arcade option that returns the game to its original state at launch in 2016.

Since Overwatch 2 debuted in 2022, there has been a constant clamor for the reintroduction of 6v6 battles and other vintage gameplay aspects. While developers have hinted at some tests during Season 14, long-term players yearn for an event that takes us back to the past, akin to Fortnite’s Season OG.

At long last, the calls have been responded to through the unveiling of Overwatch Classic. Let’s delve into what this means for Overwatch 2, including its maps, characters, and abilities.

Overwatch 2 Classic start & end date

The Overwatch Classic event takes place from Tuesday, November 12, 2024, all the way until Monday, December 2. During this timeframe, players will get approximately a month to revisit the golden era of the game within Overwatch 2. However, developers hint that it may resurface again in the future if the mode maintains its popularity.

What is Overwatch Classic?

In Overwatch Classic, we step back in time to how the game was played in 2016. This mode features the original 21 heroes, with matches now being 6-player versus 6-player instead of 5-versus-5. Additionally, there are no restrictions on roles or characters you can choose.

If you prefer to manage a squad of six Bastions or stay within the Tank category, you’re free to do so. To bring back the charm of Overwatch 1.0, we’ve reverted each Hero’s kit to its initial form, which means some long-absent abilities are making a comeback.

In a simplified manner, the abilities that currently exist in Overwatch 2 but were originally present in Overwatch on its first day are being scaled back to their original functionality. Therefore, you can anticipate Mercy to be healing her entire team more actively and Torbjorn to be regularly upgrading his Turret.

Maps

Assault

  • Hanamura
  • Temple of Anubis
  • Volskaya Industries

Control

  • Ilios
  • Lijiang Tower
  • Nepal

Escort

  • Dorado
  • Route 66
  • Watchpoint: Gibraltar

Hybrid

  • Hollywood
  • King’s Row
  • Numbani

In the upcoming Overwatch 2, the original 12 launch maps will reappear within the Classic mode. Despite their return, players should note that these maps may not be identical to how they remember them from the 2016 release of the game.

Instead of resetting every map to their original versions, this mode will preserve them exactly as they appear in Overwatch 2. This means all updates made during the past eight years will remain, including significant transformations to iconic maps like Dorado and Numbani.

Heroes & abilities

In the classic version of Overwatch, there are a total of 21 characters, each of whom has had their original skill sets reinstated. Many of these abilities will remain in Overwatch 2, though their power levels may have been adjusted depending on how they functioned back in 2016.

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2024-11-11 20:19