For the first time in over two years, Overwatch 2 players will be able to group into teams of six. A three-week event featuring this format begins tomorrow, November 12th. However, there is a little trick. You still can’t choose Chirico or Sombra or play against additional players on either side in push maps. That’s because, in Overwatch 2’s first true taste of 6v6, Blizzard is taking us back to our roots with a limited-time mode called Overwatch: Classic.
You’ll be able to experience Overwatch much the same way you did when it debuted in May 2016. This means you can choose from an initial 21 heroes, all with original kits and abilities. That means Hanzo loses his lunge jump but regains his deadly scatter arrow, Bastion and Thorbjorn look much different now, and Cassidy’s flashbang once again stunlocks enemies for a second.
Symmetra is back to being a support who can teleport allies from her spawn room to almost anywhere on the map, and Mercy can reanimate five dead teammates. Ultimate abilities will also charge faster.
Additionally, similar to the first short-lived Overwatch, there will be no restrictions on hero selection at first. So if you and your teammates want to run with a configuration of 4 Winstons and 2 Lucios, go for it. However, this only applies for the first few days, after which Blizzard will apply a single hero restriction rule for the remainder of the event. Games are not competitive and are based on a quick play ruleset.
The original 12 maps will also be available. This also includes the Assault map, which Blizzard pulled from the main mode during the transition to Overwatch 2. Assault maps will still be available in arcade and custom games, but we’ll be dealing with the infamous map once again. The ornate Hanamura, the Temple of Anubis, and the difficult part of the Volskaya industry.
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However, the situation will not be exactly the same as it was in May 2016. The original maps, including Dorado, Numbani, Route 66, and Watchpoint: Gibraltar, have been significantly improved over the years and appear unchanged in the current game. Only the original default Overwatch skins are available. No, there are no loot boxes. The user interface also remains the same. This means the ping system will continue to work.
Blizzard doesn’t intend this to be a one-time deal. There will also be other Overwatch: Classic events in the future that focus on different moments in the game’s history, including the infamous Triple Tank, Triple Support GOATS meta, and more. This limited-time mode is also separate from other 6v6 tests that Blizzard plans to run in the coming months to gauge player interest in the format and gather feedback.
This limited-time mode has a good chance of bringing absentee players back into the mix, even if it’s just for a taste of nostalgia. I first played Overwatch a few months after its debut, so it’ll be fun to get a rough idea of what the game felt like the first time around. We Instagram May after every match so you can remember what it’s like to freeze your opponent before giving them a cheeky wave and driving an icicle into their skull. Ah, memories…
