Blizzard’s got Overwatch 2 players time-traveling back to 2016 with a limited-time “Overwatch: Classic” event. Kicking off on November 12, this three-week mode revives the game’s original 6v6 format, along with classic heroes, maps, and the vintage playstyle that Overwatch fans loved.
In a true throwback move, Blizzard has stripped things down to the basics — meaning no Kiriko, no Push maps, and only the core 21 heroes with their OG abilities.
In Overwatch: Classic, Mercy’s back to resurrecting five teammates with her ultimate, Hanzo regains his Scatter Arrow ability, and Symmetra returns to her support role teleporting teammates directly from spawn. For the first few days, the mode even allows for multiple players to pick the same hero, so teams could hypothetically run four Winstons and two Lucios before the single-hero limit kicks in.
This trip down memory lane will also take place across Overwatch’s original 12 maps, including retired assault maps like Hanamura, Temple of Anubis, and Volskaya Industries, which are notorious for their challenging choke points. While some maps, such as Dorado and Route 66, appear in their current, reworked forms, most of the experience replicates Overwatch’s early days with only default skins and no loot boxes.
It’s not a one-and-done situation, either. Blizzard’s planning more Overwatch: Classic events to dig into other memorable metas from the game’s past, like the famous GOATS comp. It’s also experimenting with 6v6 modes in general, keeping a pulse on whether players want more of that old-school team setup.
Blizzard’s Overwatch: Classic follows a recent trend among popular multiplayer games, with titles like Fortnite and Apex Legends also revisiting their original content to engage long-time fans. While Fortnite’s recent “OG” mode brought back maps and mechanics from its early seasons, Apex Legends launched “Launch Royale,” spotlighting its original map and characters to recapture players’ interest after a reported dip in revenue. Now, Overwatch 2 joins the nostalgic wave, aiming to attract both current and lapsed fans for a fresh yet familiar experience.
Nostalgia aside, this event also gives fans a chance to compare how the game has evolved and re-live some of its best moments. So, if you’ve missed that classic Overwatch chaos or you’re just curious about what all the buzz was back in the day, now’s your chance to jump in and see how it all started.
