Developer and publisherBlizzardhas announced thatOverwatch 2will get a new mode for a limited time. Instead of adding something brand-new to the experience, however, the developer is instead betting on the nostalgic feel of its predecessor. “Overwatch: Classic” is coming to the game as an event that players will only be able to play from November 12 to June 04, 2025.
The originalOverwatchcame out in 2016 and it was a huge success in the competitive online games scene, pushing the Hero Shooter genre into the spotlight. Back in 2022, the game was shut down and a free-to-play sequel was released. Among the changes were the team reduction from 6 players to 5, and the fact the developers cut down loot boxes in favor of a battle pass system.
Back to the Classic Experience
Back in October, Blizzard had already confirmed that they were interested in bringing back the 6 vs 6 format as an alternative to the current game model. This new Overwatch: Classic mode, however, is a separate experience meant as a nostalgic throwback.
Blizzard is Experimenting with 6v6 Overwatch 2 Matches
6v6 matches are coming to Overwatch 2 for the first time later this year on a trial basis.
The idea is to travel back to various configurations the first game had over time, so players will be able to dive back into old meta formats and learn how to use abilities that haven’t been part of the experience for years. The first event will feature a balance akin to how it was during the original 1.0 Overwatch release, which came out on May 2016. Back in the day, the game included 21 heroes, 12 maps and the four original modes (Assault, Escort, Control and Hybrid).
Part of the changes include the fact that heroes will be able to charge their Ultimate abilities much faster than they can in the current configuration of Overwatch 2. It’ll also be possible to make teams with multiple versions of the same hero, though that will not be the case for later events.
Compared to the original release, however, the team confirmed that the maps will still be the same as the ones they use for Overwatch 2. Other elements like the previous game’s UI, competitive mode or loot boxes won’t be part of the experience either.
Despite bringing back the 6 vs 6 format during this short event, Blizzard points out that they’ll actually be doing other tests later. As such, this will be more of a chance to feel nostalgia towards everything the series has offered over the years. Meanwhile, the new 6 vs 6 modes will still be implemented later, and the team will gather feedback to see if the players react positively to it.
Back in October, Blizzard had already confirmed that they were interested in bringing back the 6 vs 6 format as an alternative to the current game model. However, this new Overwatch: Classic mode is a separate experience meant as a nostalgic throwback.
The company also says that Overwatch: Classic could come back as a feature in future events, but it will depend on player response to it. The full list of characters, maps and modes is available atBlizzard’s official news post, where they also highlight many of the extra elements that are part of the new experience.
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