8 years after releasing Overwatch, Blizzard is bringing back original Overwatch gameplay in their new Overwatch: Classic events. In the first Overwatch: Classic event, the game is going all the way back to the original 1.0 release patch from May 2016.
Overwatch: Classic is a new non-competitive game mode that will be available through the arcade. Overwatch: Classic releases at 12 PM Central Time.
Here's everything players can expect from the first Overwatch: Classic Event:
Play Overwatch: Classic from November 12th to December 2nd
All class tuning reverted to the original 1.0 patch
Health pools and damage outputs reverted to 1.0
Using ultimate abilities almost on cooldown
No hero limits for the first 2-3 days
Play in the original 6v6
Choose from the 21 original heroes
Play on the 12 original maps in Assault, Escort, Hybrid, and Control
Patch 1.0 for Overwatch was understandably chaotic, with a set of 12 entirely new maps and 21 entirely new characters that had little player testing.
Players can enjoy chaotic Overwatch gameplay with unbalanced, glass cannon characters from before any changes were made to the game.
Before class tuning, many of the original Overwatch characters like Widowmaker were extremely overpowered. Expect to see Widowmaker in every match in Overwatch: Classic.
Junkrat will need to be careful as his own weapons are once again capable of harming himself. And Mercy will once again be able to revive her entire fallen party at one time!
Original Abilities and Original Heroes
The first days of the first Overwatch: Classic event will remove all hero limits, meaning players can have any combination of 6 heroes they want.
If you want to enjoy playing a meme comp, make sure you play Overwatch: Classic in the first couple days - hero limits will be added again a few days into the event.
Notably, every hero will be able to use their ultimate almost instantly. In general, the cost for the Ultimate Charge was much lower in patch 1.0, so players can expect extremely fast and loose gameplay.
Health pools, damage outputs, and projectile sizes are also being reverted back to the original 1.0 patch, drastically changing how gameplay will feel compared to Overwatch 2.
Overwatch: Classic will be using the original 6v6 comp, but Blizzard claims this will be a game mode specific to Classic. They are not planning on bringing 6v6 back permanently any time soon.
Players will be able to choose from the original 21 characters:
Offense Heroes:
Cassidy
Genji
Pharah
Reaper
Solider: 76
Tracer
Defense Heroes:
Bastion
Hanzo
Junkrat
Mei
Torbjorn
Widowmaker
Tank Heroes:
D. Va
Reinhardt
Roadhog
Winston
Zarya
Support Heroes:
Lucio
Mercy
Symmetra
Zenyatta
Original Maps and Game Modes
Players will be able to fight 6v6 in the 12 original maps in these four classic game modes:
Assault requires a team to capture two objective points that are defended by the opposing team. The original Assault maps are:
Hanamura
Temple of Anubis
Volskaya Industries
Control maps are an all-out brawl where both teams try to capture the same objective point and hold it long enough to win the round. Best two out of three rounds wins the match. The 3 original control maps are:
Illios
Lijang Tower
Nepal
Escort missions require one team to escort a payload through the map, while the opposing team tries to stop them. The original escort maps are:
Dorado
Route 66
Watchpoint: Gibralter
Hybrid Maps are challenges that combine Escort and Assault modes. The attacking team must try to both capture points and escort a payload through the map while the defending team tries to stop them. The Hybrid maps are:
Hollywood
King's Row
Numbani
Overwatch: Classic is a new temporary game mode that will be available from November 12th to December 2nd. This is a new trial game mode that Blizzard will be asking for feedback on for future events.
There is nothing that players need to install to enjoy the new Game Mode. Overwatch: Classic can be found in the Events Hub and in the Arcade in the Main Menu.
Although Overwatch: Classic will be using only the 12 original maps, these maps will look the same as in Overwatch 2. They will not have any changed reverted back to patch 1.0. If players have different skins for the original 21 heroes, they will not be able to equip them. This nostalgic game mode will only use the original 21 heroes in their initial skins.
As this is the first event, Overwatch: Classic currently does not have other classic features like loot boxes, the original UI, or a competitive mode for Classic. This could change in future events if this first Overwatch: Classic event is successful enough!
If players want to take advantage of the no heroes limit and build some meme comps, they should make sure to play Overwatch: Classic in the first few days! Although hero limits will be added back on, there will be no class limits, meaning teams can run as many tanks, healer, and dps as they please throughout the event.
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