Overwatch Classic doesn't just change the number of players on each team though - everything about it is exactly the same as how it was back when the game launched in 2016. The roster of heroes has been reduced down to its original size, sidelined maps like Volskaya Industries and Hanamura have been added back to the pool, and even things as simple as the HUD and player icons have been reverted to the old style.
As someone who played Overwatch back when it first launched and has seen the game through every phase of its lifespan, this event is incredibly nostalgic for me. It was one of the first online games I ever played with friends, and the laughs we shared and memories we made playing on school nights and weekends are ones I'll never forget.
I will always hold a special place in my heart for the early days of Overwatch, but the nostalgia goggles have worn off a bit now
With that being said, did I enjoy playing Overwatch Classic? Well, yes and no. I will always hold a special place in my heart for the early days of Overwatch, but the nostalgia goggles have worn off a bit now. And while the early days of the game were fun eight years ago, I can understand why the game isn't like this anymore.
One huge change Overwatch saw early on in it's lifespan was the removal of duplicate heroes. No longer can you and your squad dive the enemy team with 6 Winstons - and for the better. The concept of building ridiculous team compositions was hilarious when the game first released, but the novelty disappeared quickly (hence why Blizzard have relegated the feature to an Arcade mode since).
The reality is that Overwatch has shifted to a more competitive audience over the years, and it simply wouldn't please the current player base
The same went for the lack of role limitations in team lineups, as opposed to the strict setup of 2 Tank, 2 Damage and 2 Support heroes introduced in 2019. The old format meant teams had to make a genuine effort to synergise with each other back in 2016, while also providing far more freedom and room for creativity. But the reality is that Overwatch has shifted to a more competitive audience over the years, and it simply wouldn't please the current player base.
The rise in competitiveness in the community makes Overwatch: Classic a fundamentally flawed idea, as it's appealing to a player base that mostly died out a long time ago. Ideas like counter-switching and such weren't on people's minds back in 2016, and so everyone just played the hero they liked best. But in Overwatch: Classic, I can't get away with two minutes of playing D.Va before an enemy player switches to Zarya and counters me.
The gameplay is near exact to how it was eight years ago, and the fact the team went to the efforts to replicate everything so well is admirable
This doesn't mean I didn't have fun with the gamemode though. Playing these characters in their original states again was incredibly fun, particularly for heroes like Hanzo, Torbjorn and Mei who have been drastically changed since their release. The gameplay is near exact to how it was eight years ago, and the fact that the team went to the efforts to replicate everything so well is admirable.
There's a reason Overwatch isn't this way anymore. The game has undergone so many changes since it first released, and it's far from perfect in its current state. The core gameplay itself is still fun, but adjustments ultimately had to be made, leaving Overwatch Classic to stand as a simple reminder of what once was.
That being said, I hope Blizzard continues to experiment with bringing 6v6 back to Overwatch. The current game is in need of some serious changes, and event modes like these should continue to be used by the team to test out alternatives to the current format.
