When I saw the news on Monday that hero shooter Overwatch is launching an Overwatch Classic mode, my brittle bones creaked and my joints ached. It was like watching a younger nephew crack open a beer at a family gathering. I wanted to ask, “Are you old enough for this?”
Overwatch launched eight years ago, and regardless of whether that feels long enough for this kind of event, it’s here.
In the Overwatch Classic 1.0 mode, you’ll be able to play as one of the original 21 heroes, divided again into tank, offense, defense and support roles. Hero kits are being reverted to their launch versions, which means Symmetra is a shield-generating support hero again, Reaper gets soul globes again and D.Va once again has the ability to die in her own ultimate. Assault maps are back, and there are no hero limits for the first few days.
Note: This isn’t a separate game — Overwatch Classic is a limited-time event in Overwatch 2. The mode runs for three weeks, and the announcement post references three specific eras based on the “metas” or predominant strategies of the time: launch, the “moth meta” period immediately after Mercy’s first rework in 2017, and the meta known as “Goats,” named after the team that popularized the triple tank, triple support composition. I’m expecting the patches to rotate each week.
It’s also not what the developers were talking about when they mentioned plans to test six-versus-six players again. From the Overwatch Classic FAQ: “Overwatch Classic is separate from our broader 6v6 plans. Overwatch Classic is meant to be a nostalgic experience, taking heroes, players and the game back to moments in the game’s history for limited time events.”
It’s a surprise move for the game, but the kind of fun surprise that was sorely lacking before Overwatch 2 launched, and something we’ve been getting more of, especially in the past year.
Heroes really never die
Overwatch launched in 2016 — eight years ago, an eternity in gaming years. The game would go through a variety of controversial metas before a multiyear content drought, which was prompted by the development of Overwatch 2 and exacerbated by the pandemic.
Overwatch 2 switched us to 5v5, removed the Assault game mode, added a few new ones and introduced more frequent balance patches and communication from the developers. The game has evolved a lot, so in a way, the amount of time that has passed between launch and now is irrelevant: The game has well and truly changed, so an Overwatch Classic mode is a meaningful departure from the game’s current existence.
I’ve wondered for the past couple of years whether the game would do anything like this. The developers have been experimenting with game modes pretty heavily over the past year, starting with last year’s Diablo 4 event, which introduced upgradable abilities, to things like Mirrorwatch and Junkenstein’s Lab, which put interesting twists on hero abilities and game rules. There’s a playfulness in these events that we haven’t really seen since the first year of Overwatch’s release. Overwatch Classic feels like an extension of that.
It’s worth pointing out that Overwatch is running this event just a few weeks before the official release of the biggest competition it has ever faced: Marvel Rivals, which comes out Dec. 6. In addition to bringing Marvel’s roster of recognizable characters to fans, the game also features 6v6 gameplay with no role lock, making it more similar to launch Overwatch than the current iteration of Overwatch 2. It seems like the Overwatch devs are taking the Rivals hype as an opportunity to try some old things (and new ones — we’ll also be testing out contemporary 6v6 and new “max 3” limits soon).
Personally, I think this is all good news. Overwatch is at its best when it’s trying things, experimenting with a mix of new and old ideas. Maybe Overwatch classic aged terribly, or perhaps it’s a refreshing trip down memory lane. Even if it’s a flop, anything is better than the three-year content drought that preceded the launch of Overwatch 2.
Overwatch Classic runs from Nov. 12 through Dec. 2.
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