The original Overwatch was a special game and arguably the last game from the Blizzard Entertainment many of us grew up with and loved. Since then, the developer has made some questionable decisions, to say the least, and is now owned by Microsoft. It has also endured multiple layoffs this year alone. If there was ever a time to say that the jokes write themselves, now might be it. Blizzard has announced Overwatch: Classic, a limited-time event from November 12 to December 2 taking place in Overwatch 2. We doubt Blizzard has actually run out of innovative ideas for its games, but we can’t help but poke fun at how it keeps bringing back the past with Classic versions of its games.
To be clear, Overwatch: Classic is separate from the team’s plans to bring back 6v6 to Overwatch 2. The event is intended to be a nostalgic experience and is separate from other 6v6 test modes the team plans to run in future seasons. Players who are interested in experiencing Overwatch: Classic can access it from the Events Hub and Arcade in the main menu. The mode will be the Quick Play ruleset, featuring the original 21 heroes and 12 launch maps. For the first few days of the event, there will be no hero limits or role limits, but the single hero limit rule will be added for the remainder of the event. While it will use the 12 original maps from launch, these maps will appear as they do in other Overwatch 2 game modes. That means the reworks for Dorado, Numbani, Route 66, and Watchpoint: Gibraltar will be present, including match timing and how elevator platforms work.
Personally, the original Overwatch launch was the last time I found the game truly engaging. I praised the game in my 2016 review, but unfortunately, it felt like it went downhill from there.
