Games

Why Overwatch Classic Isnt Exactly Overwatch Classic

Published

1 month ago

November 15, 2024

Overwatch Classic has debuted as a three-week-long Arcade mode in Season 13 of Overwatch 2. This mode brings players back to Patch 1.0 of the hero-shooter, allowing any team composition as long as each team totals six players. Since Overwatch originally launched in May 2016, and Blizzard added a single hero limit to Competitive Play soon after, it’s confirmed that future Overwatch Classic events, including this version from November 15-December 2, will also include a limit to match the original game’s experience.

With players soon able to journey through time and experience different metas and patches from the original game, it’s an exciting opportunity to relive the history of this popular IP. However, although Overwatch Classic is being promoted as a return to the early days, several notable differences exist between Overwatch 2‘s version of Patch 1.0 and the original. As such, while the game mode does its best to capture the essence of the original, it isn’t exactly Overwatch Classic at its core.

Overwatch: Classic Puts One Notorious Hero Back in the Hot Seat, But Not for Long

Overwatch 2 Season 13 has introduced an LTM event called Overwatch Classic, which has already begun to spark debate over a particular DPS hero.

Future Overwatch Classic Events Could Appeal More to Nostalgia

Overwatch Prime Featured Various Key Differences from Overwatch Classic

Overwatch Classic may be a double-edged sword, despite capturing significant attention by taking players back to a version of the game from over eight and a half years ago. Still, Team 4 calling the Arcade mode Patch 1.0 is a bit misleading, given the significant differences between the versions. First, the original Overwatch featured a more compact, minimalistic UI with transparency and layered visuals. Despite this simplicity, it maintained a vibrant personality, especially with decorative level portraits that appeared over a character’s selected hero in-game. While a version of these portraits still exists on a player’s profile page in Overwatch 2, they are no longer prominently displayed during gameplay.

Similarly, Overwatch Classic lacks the performance medals that were an integral part of the original game. In Overwatch 1, players earned medals in three tiers: Gold, Silver, and Bronze, across five categories:

Eliminations: Kills or assists
Damage Done: Total damage dealt
Healing Done: Total healing output
Objective Kills: Kills that directly contribute to the team’s objectives
Objective Time: Time spent contesting or on the objective

In Overwatch Classic, players may notice they can check statistics from both teams. This is a significant change from Overwatch 2, which introduced the current scoreboard system. Previously, players could only see their statistics, and it wasn’t uncommon for players to mention having “gold healing” or “gold eliminations,” even if those claims weren’t always accurate. This system made it harder for players to get an overall sense of the match performance beyond their contributions. Additionally, Overwatch‘s original post-match approach, which included a voting card screen, sometimes revealed discrepancies, exposing a player’s misstatements about their stats.

Trophies and achievements also cannot be unlocked in Overwatch Classic, despite obviously being earnable in the original game.

Although the “On Fire” mechanic has made a return in Overwatch 2 and is visible in Overwatch Classic, the mode currently lacks a Competitive option. This is understandable, as it is a limited-time mode, but if Overwatch Classic aimed to replicate Patch 1.0 more closely, incorporating a competitive ranking system and rewards would have been a more accurate reflection. Offering future Overwatch Classics as a season-long event with its own mini-ranked leaderboard and Skill Rating (SR) could significantly enhance the mode’s appeal. However, this would likely lead to longer queue times for other modes, which is a potential downside to consider.

Furthermore, Cassidy is not referred to as “Jesse McCree” in Overwatch Classic, which is a reasonable choice, given that the name change occurred following the controversy surrounding former Blizzard employee Jesse McCree. The decision was part of Blizzard’s response to the allegations and aimed to distance the character from the real-world figure involved in the scandal. In the same vein, the 21 original heroes in Overwatch Classic are all using their default skins from Overwatch prime, which cannot be modified. Fortunately, it’s possible that when Overwatch Classic returns in future seasons, it may incorporate some of these quality-of-life adjustments.

Overwatch 2 is an always-on and ever-evolving free-to-play, team-based action game set in an optimistic future, where every match is the ultimate 5v5 battlefield brawl. Power up your railgun and disrupt the battlefield as Sojourn, or yield your axe and command attention as Junker Queen. Battle to take control of a robot and move it toward the enemy base in the new Push Mode. Bring the fight to new destinations across the globe in iconic locations like New York, Rome, Monte Carlo and Rio. Daily challenges and frequent updates mean there is always something new to play.

Franchise: Overwatch
Released: October 4, 2022
Multiplayer: Online Multiplayer
Engine: Proprietary Engine
ESRB: T
How Long To Beat: 35 hours
Steam Deck Compatibility: n/a
X|S Optimized: Yes
File Size Xbox Series: 59 GB (September 2024)
OpenCritic Rating: Strong
Cross Save: yes
Cross-Platform Play: PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One & Xbox Series X|S