Overwatch Classic finally takes OW2 back to 2016 with OG Heroes & balancing

Blizzard has announced Overwatch Classic, a brand-new limited-time mode that brings back the 2016 launch version of the game as a mode in Overwatch 2.

It’s been over eight years since Overwatch first launched and the hero shooter has undergone plenty of evolutions since then. From the introduction of role limits to the switch 5v5 with the release of the sequel, the game is virtually unrecognizable from version 1.0.

Now, Overwatch Classic is taking players all the way back to 2016 to relieve the original version, complete with all the chaos that we remember.

Kicking off on Tuesday, November 11, 2024, this Arcade mode features the 21 launch Heroes, broken into four classes; Tank, Offense, Defense, and Support.

They’ll all come with their original kits and abilities before any balancing was rolled out. So, Mercy will be able to revive her entire team with the Resurrect Ultimate and Hanzo will have his Scatter Arrows.

To give new and returning fans a true snapshot of what it was like all those years ago, Overwatch Classic brings back the 6v6 format and also scraps any Hero or role limits. This means you can run a full team of Winstons or any other characters if you really want to.

Although this is the closest you’re likely to get to the original Overwatch since it was replaced back in 2022, there are a few features that have been left behind. For example, Classic will stick with the updated UI seen in modern Overwatch and loot boxes still aren’t making their way back.

Maps will also be slightly different from how you remember them. All 12 of the launch maps will appear, but they will be the Overwatch 2 versions rather than being restored, so the reworks to maps like Route 66 and Numbani will remain.

The Overwatch Classic event runs from November 12 to December 2. But don’t worry, Lead Gameplay Designer, Alec Dawson, told Dexerto in a press interview that they’re already looking at “different snapshots in time” from the game’s history that they could explore in the future if the response is positive enough.

You won’t have to wait much longer for more content, though, as Overwatch 2 Season 14 is due to arrive nearly a week later on December 10.