Overwatch 2 will be implementing a new event tomorrow that lasts until December 2 as a callback to the original iteration of the franchise when it launched in 2016. Overwatch: Classic is a new mode temporarily available in Arcade that will be built like the game was at pivotal points in Overwatch’s past. In the first iteration, you can play the first 21 heroes with their original abilities and kits from when the first game launched. The mode is 6v6, starts without role and hero limits, and only the maps available in 2016, including 2CP, will be playable.
It’s important to note that Overwatch: Classic is not connected to the 6v6 tests coming next season.
Overwatch: Classic hero changes
With the first Overwatch: Classic being focused on the first game’s launch status, the roster will be very different from how it is now. Ana and Sombra were added to the game later in 2016, but they and all heroes post their introductions will not be available for this first run. Here are some of the biggest differences you might notice when playing this mode.
- Junkrat and D.Va can both blow themselves up.
- Mercy’s ultimate will be Resurrection, which can revive her entire team instantly.
- Hanzo has his Scatter Arrow ability and no Storm Arrow.
- Symmetra has six turrets available that must be placed manually, and her ultimate is a teleporter that delivers teammates from the spawn room to wherever she is.
- Torbjorn has to build his turret to level two, and his ultimate raises it to level three for higher firepower. He also throws armor packs.
- Cassidy does a ton of damage from Fan the Hammer, and his Flash Grenade stuns enemies in their tracks.
- Soldier: 76 has no recoil when firing.
- Bastion has his original Tank ultimate and stationary turret mode.
- Mei can freeze enemies in place with her main fire.
These are just some of the big differences from Overwatch heroes in 2016 to now. Even heroes that haven’t had massive reworks will feel very different in particular ways, like Tracer’s Pulse Bomb damage and Lucio’s healing and speed boost range. You can read them all in the official blog.
What else is different in Overwatch: Classic?
The heroes aren’t the only thing that will be different from the main game you play today. Only 12 maps will be available in this first run, but those include the original Assault (or 2CP) maps Temple of Anubis, Hanamura, and Volskaya Industries. While those original iterations will be here for players to relive the constant stalling practices of original Overwatch, maps that have received reworks, like Dorado and Numbani, will be in their current state.
For the first few days, Overwatch: Classic will play without hero or role limits. That means you can make a full team of Winstons, or Torbjorns and meme up the entire match. Remembering how those matches used to be in the early days, you will likely see that a lot. Eventually, the single hero limit will be implemented to make it a little more fun. Role limits will not be put in this iteration, as that wasn’t implemented until 2019.
Some more quick notes:
- Ultimates will charge much faster and do not immediately disappear when you press the button. If a hero like Lucio gets interrupted in his ultimate, he will maintain some percentage of that ultimate.
- Heroes are divided into Tank, Attacker, Defender, and Support roles. Symmetra is a Support hero.
- Health, damage, and projectile sizes are also different.
- Only the original Overwatch 1 hero skins will be used to maintain the nostalgic effect.
If you never played Overwatch in the original 2016 days, Overwatch: Classic will be your best chance to see what it was like at first. The game has unquestionably changed considerably over the last eight years. It will be really cool to relive this experience and see other iterations (and nightmares like GOATS) implemented for future events.
