As a seasoned Overwatch player with over a thousand hours under my belt, I can confidently say that the roster of heroes in this game is nothing short of remarkable. Each character, from Tracer to Zenyatta, has their unique abilities and playstyles that cater to different strategies and team compositions.
In the game Overwatch 2, new, temporary game modes are often introduced with each season. These can be annual events like Halloween Terror’s Wrath of the Bride and Junkenstein’s Revenge, or occasional one-offs such as Quick Play: Hacked modes, which help test potential modifications to the game, including team compositions, passive abilities, and other aspects.
Since the debut of “Overwatch 2”, there’s been a lot of discussion about the ideal team composition – 5v5 or 6v6. Many dedicated players and enthusiasts have expressed a preference for the 6v6 setup, including heroes, abilities, maps, and overall mechanics from the original “Overwatch”. In the Competitive Season 13 of “Overwatch 2”, they’ve introduced a special limited-time game mode called “Overwatch Classic“. This mode is designed to evoke nostalgia in longtime players while also allowing newcomers to experiment with heroes in their previous states, explore older maps like Assault/2 CP, and more. You can find all the details about Overwatch Classic, including when it’s available and which characters are included, in the guide provided below.
Overwatch Classic Mode in Overwatch 2, Explained
In Overwatch 2, there’s a new Arcade game mode called Overwatch Classic. This mode replicates the state of the original Overwatch game when it was first released. So, in this mode, both teams will have six players each. The characters are limited to the initial roster and they possess their original abilities, passives, and cooldown times. Furthermore, only the original map pool will be accessible—this includes classic maps like Temple of Anubis and Hanamura from Overwatch 1, specifically those Assault/2 CP maps.
Starting from November 12, 2024, the Overwatch Classic mode is set to roll on for a whopping three weeks! Until November 19, it’s an anything-goes situation where we can let our creative juices flow and experiment with wild team compositions. This means I could potentially field six Winstons or five Mercy healers along with a sharp-shooting Cassidy if I so desire. But after November 19, the rules tighten up a bit – while role mixing remains possible, only one player will be allowed to select a particular Hero at any given time. So grab your favorite heroes and let’s see what unique strategies we can cook up during this extended play period!
All Original Heroes & Abilities in Overwatch Classic
In the classic version of Overwatch, only the initial 21 heroes are playable, just like when Overwatch 1 was first released. This means that iconic abilities such as Hanzo’s Scatter Arrow and Bastion’s Self-Heal have made their comeback in gameplay. In Overwatch Classic, you’re not bound to playing Defense or DPS role while defending or attacking respectively. Instead, you’re free to experiment with a variety of characters, providing a chance for players to explore multiple heroes.
I’ve jotted down all the original skills and tweaks, straight from the official patch notes for this gaming event: here’s the lowdown.
Attack DPS
Cassidy
- Peacekeeper
- Accurate, powerful revolver
- Peacekeeper
- Wildly fire remaining rounds
- Combat Roll
- Roll in the direction you’re moving and reload
- Flashbang
- Stun enemies in front of you
- Deadeye
- Face off against your enemies. Press your Ultimate to lock on, then Primary Fire to fire.
In Overwatch 2, you might encounter an enhanced damage output from Cassidy compared to what you’re accustomed to. His hammer swings now deal 70 damage per projectile when fanned. Additionally, the Flashbang ability has been reverted to its original form, causing heroes caught within its explosion to be immobilized for a brief period, making them susceptible to attacks. Lastly, Deadeye offers more flexibility as Cassidy can now cancel firing and save up to half of his Ultimate charge.
Genji
- Cyber-Agility
- `Climb on walls and double jump
- Shuriken
- Throw an accurate burst of 3 projectiles
- Shuriken (Alt)
- Throw a fan of 3 projectiles in an arc
- Swift Strike
- Rapidly dash forward and inflict damage on enemies. Eliminations reset the cooldown
- Deflect
- Deflect incoming projectiles toward the direction you are aiming and block melee attacks
- Dragonblade
- Unsheathe a deadly melee weapon
As a devoted admirer, I’d like to highlight that Genji’s Dragonblade isn’t something you can just brush aside. It unleashes a relentless attack for an impressive eight seconds. Additionally, Genji’s agility is off the charts, as his Double Jump ability resets while wall climbing, making him a swift and elusive warrior on the battlefield.
Pharah
- Rocket Launcher
- Long-range explosive projectile weapon
- Jump Jet
- Fly rapidly upwards
- Concussive Blast
- Launch an explosive blast to knock back enemies
- Barrage
- Launch a continuous volley of mini-rockets
- Hover Jets
- Hold Jump to hover
Pharah’s initial equipment enhances her ability to remain airborne for extended periods and provides a greater chance of knocking back enemies from platforms using her Concussive Blast. Additionally, the explosions from her Rocket Launcher cause more widespread damage when they detonate.
Reaper
- Hellfire Shotguns
- Short-range spread weapons
- Wraith Form
- Move faster and become invulnerable, but you cannot shoot
- Shadow Step
- Teleport to a targeted location
- Death Blossom
- Damage all nearby enemies
- The Reaping
- Collect Soul Globes to restore health
Beyond the general alterations in
Soldier: 76
- Heavy Pulse Rifle
- Automatic assault weapon
- Helix Rockets
- Launch a volley of explosive rockets
- Sprint
- Run faster while moving forward
- Biotic Field
- Deploy a field that heals you and your allies
- Tactical Visor
- Automatically aims your weapon at targets in view
As a dedicated fan, I can tell you that when I wield 76’s Heavy Pulse Rifle, each bullet doesn’t pack as much punch, dealing only 17 points of damage per projectile. However, what sets this rifle apart is its remarkable lack of recoil. Instead, the longer I hold it, the wider the spread becomes, adding a unique strategic element to my gameplay.
Tracer
- Pulse Pistols
- Short-range automatic weapons
- Blink
- Teleport in the direction you are moving
- Recall
- Travel back in time to your previous location and health
- Pulse Bomb
- Throw out a powerful sticky explosive
Pulse Bomb can deal incredibly high damage that can finish off most heroes.
Defense DPS
Bastion
- Configuration: Recon
- Mobile with a light automatic weapon
- Configuration: Sentry
- Immobile with a powerful rotary cannon
- Configure
- Switch between weapon configurations
- Self-Repair
- Heal yourself
- Configuration: Tank
- Mobile with a powerful cannon
Bastion is a tricky character who can make passage through chokepoints difficult when positioned in Sentry mode by firing continuous machine gun rounds, but he remains stationary and has a limited ammo supply while in this state. This makes him vulnerable from behind if an opponent manages to circle around him. Remember to utilize Self-Repair to heal Bastion when you’re not dealing damage. Be cautious, as Configuration: Tank will unleash massive bursts of damage as Bastion moves freely across the battlefield in tank form.
Hanzo
- Storm Bow
- Hold to charge then release to launch arrows further
- Sonic Arrow
- Reveals enemies for a short time upon impact
- Scatter Arrow
- Splits into multiple ricochet arrows on impact
- Dragonstrike
- Launch a deadly Dragon Spirit that devastates any enemies it passes through
- Wall Climb
- Jump at walls to climb up them
In the updated version of Overwatch, Hanzo has replaced his initial specialized arrow, the Scatter Arrow, with a remarkable ability. This attack, aptly named the Choke-Buster, launches a barrage of projectiles that bounce off walls, making it an effective tool for disrupting enemies trying to flank and hiding behind corners. When used strategically, it can even inflict significant damage on tanks if aimed at their feet. However, Hanzo will no longer possess the Lunge jump passive from Overwatch Classic, which means his mobility is somewhat restricted in this version.
Junkrat
- Frag Launcher
- Bouncing explosive projectile weapon
- Concussion Mine
- Throw a knockback mine with Ability 1 then detonate it with Alternate Fire
- Steel Trap
- Place an immobilizing trap
- Rip-tire
- Drive and detonate an exploding tire
- Total Mayhem
- Drop bombs on death
As a devoted Junkrat fan, I’ve noticed that he puts himself in harm’s way quite often. The Frag Launcher he wields deals damage not only to his enemies but also to him. And speaking of the Concussion Mine, it’s important to note that it carries just one charge, which might restrict his ability to quickly engage in combat or dish out damage to adversaries.
Mei
- Endothermic Blaster
- Short-range spray weapon that freezes enemies
- Endothermic Blaster
- Long-range icicle launcher
- Cryo-freeze
- Become invulnerable and heal yourself
- Ice Wall
- Create a wall in front of you
- Blizzard
- Launch a weather control drone that freezes enemies in a wide area
The main blast from the Endothermic Blaster swiftly freezes foes, enabling Mei to execute a frigid defeat using her secondary fire. Furthermore, the Ice Wall becomes a tougher barrier to overcome, as each column has 500 health points.
Torbjorn
- Rivet Gun
- Slow-firing long-ranged weapon
- Forge Hammer
- Swing to improve your turret or damage an enemy
- Rivet Gun
- Inaccurate but powerful short-range weapon
- Build Turret
- Build an upgradeable turret
- Armor Pack
- Build an armor power-up
- Molten Core
- Increase your weapon attack speed, gain additional armor, and temporarily upgrade a level 2 turret to level 3
- Scrap Collector
- Collect scrap to gain resources
Gather debris to set up Armor packs that you or your teammates can acquire for extra Health points in the Armor category. Employing Deploy Turret will initially position a low-damage Level 1 structure, but with the Forge Hammer, you can improve it to Level 2, which is identical to the turret that now deploys automatically in the active game. Using Torbjorn’s original Molten Core ultimate, he gains extra durability and speed, and a Level 2 turret will be instantly upgraded to a Level 3 turret equipped with missile launchers and rapid fire, enabling you to dominate any battlefield.
Widowmaker
- Widow’s Kiss
- Automatic assault weapon
- Widow’s Kiss
- Hold for long-ranged sniper weapon
- Grappling Hook
- Launch a hook that pulls you toward a ledge
- Venom Mine
- Launch a poison trap
- Infra-sight
- Provide your team with a view of the enemy’s location
The sniper character Widowmaker becomes significantly deadlier when firing shots quickly and inflicting greater damage from afar. Yet, every use of the Grappling Hook makes her more exposed because it requires a prolonged period to recharge.
Tanks
D.Va
- Fusion Cannons
- Automatic short-range spread weapons
- Light Gun
- Automatic weapon
- Boosters
- Fly in the direction you are facing
- Defense Matrix
- Block projectiles in an area in front of you
- Self-Destruct
- Eject and overload your mech, causing it to explode after a short time
- Call Mech
- Call down a new mech
- Eject!
- Eject out of your mech when it is destroyed
In the game Overwatch, D.Va’s initial kit is less dynamic compared to its later version, as it doesn’t include the Micro Missiles feature. Her Defense Matrix maintains a field for several seconds after every 10-second cooldown, but this leaves her vulnerable because she can be hurt by the blast of her own Self Destruct ability, which detonates after 4 seconds. This makes it difficult for D.Va to avoid being caught in the radius of her powerful self-destruct ability.
Reinhardt
- Rocket Hammer
- Devastating melee weapon
- Barrier Field
- Deploy a frontal energy barrier
- Charge
- Charge forward and smash an enemy against a wall
- Fire Strike
- Launch a fiery projectile
- Earthshatter
- Knock down all enemies in front of you
As a fervent admirer, I can’t help but notice that Reinhardt, compared to the original version, won’t have the luxury of two charges for Fire Strike and will boast a more modest HP pool. However, the expanded reach of his Earthshatter – horizontally and vertically – promises to take enemies unawares. Moreover, his Barrier Health in this iteration is significantly beefed up compared to the live game, offering enhanced protection against incoming attacks.
Roadhog
- Scrap Gun
- Short-range spread weapon
- Scrap Gun
- Medium-range spread weapon
- Chain Hook
- Drag a targeted enemy to you
- Take a Breather
- Heal yourself over a short time
- Whole Hog
- Damage and knock back enemies in front of you
Be cautious not to approach the trap, as it indiscriminately snags nearby objects and could deliver a deadly double punch from its projectile weapon and close combat capabilities, making quick work of characters with low health.
Winston
- Tesla Cannon
- Electric frontal-cone weapon
- Jump Pack
- Leap forward into the air. Landing on an enemy damages them
- Barrier Projector
- Deploy a protective energy dome
- Primal Rage
- Gain immense health, but you can only leap and punch enemies
In Overwatch 2, Winston’s toolkit won’t contain the long-range attack for his Tesla Cannon, an addition made in the game. Additionally, be mindful of your Barrier Projector placements because its cooldown doesn’t begin when it’s deployed but rather after the shield has expired.
Zarya
- Particle Cannon
- Short-range linear beam weapon
- Particle Cannon
- Energy grenade launcher
- Particle Barrier
- Create a damage barrier around you
- Projected Barrier
- Create a damage barrier around an ally
- Graviton Surge
- Launch a gravity well that pulls enemies to it
Previously, Zarya’s defensive abilities, Particle Barrier and Projected Barrier, had individual cooldown periods, so it’s important to consider when to utilize each for self or team protection. But, note that in comparison to the present game, Zarya gains energy more proficiently from these abilities.
Supports
Lucio
- Sonic Amplifier
- Sonic projectile launcher
- Soundwave
- Create a short-range blast wave to knock enemies away from you
- Crossfade
- Increases the effectiveness of your current song
- Sound Barrier
- Create temporary extra health for nearby allies
As a dedicated gamer, I’ve noticed that Lucio’s identity hasn’t changed, but his Crossfade feels like a whole new ball game! Instead of a 10-meter range, it now covers a whopping 30 meters, which is fantastic for getting my team to the next fight swiftly. However, the healing power for allies takes a slight hit. But hey, every hero has their quirks, and this just makes Lucio even more versatile in our team dynamics!
Mercy
- Caduceus Staff (Primary)
- Hold to heal an ally
- Caduceus Blaster
- Automatic weapon
- Caduceus Staff (Secondary)
- Hold to increase an ally’s damage inflicted
- Guardian Angel
- Fly towards an ally
- Resurrect
- Revive dead teammates
- Angelic Descent
- Fall very slowly
- Regeneration
- Restore your own health after not taking any damage
Mercy’s ultimate ability is incredibly effective in turning the tide of a team fight, as it lets her bring back up to five teammates within range almost instantly. Be cautious when encountering multiple Mercy players on the opposing side, as their combined healing and damage boost abilities can significantly amplify each other.
Symmetra
- Photon Projector
- Short-range beam weapon with increasing damage
- Photon Projector
- Hold to charge, release to fire an orb
- Sentry Turret
- Deploy a small turret that damages and slows enemies
- Photon Shield
- Give shields to an ally
- Teleporter
- Deploy a teleporter that connects to the spawn room
Initially classified as a hero who primarily supports others, Symmetra’s abilities are designed to offer utility rather than inflicting damage directly. Her Photon Shield ability bolsters the defensive health of her teammates, allowing them to regenerate this bonus health so long as they remain alive. As her ultimate ability, she can deploy a Teleporter that links any location on the map back to her active respawn room. To maximize her potential, it’s suggested to play multiple Symmetra characters and set up intricate sentry turret fortifications, effectively neutralizing key chokepoints against opponents.
Zenyatta
- Orb Of Destruction
- Energy projectile weapon
- Orb Of Destruction
- Charge to release more projectiles
- Orb of Harmony
- Launch this orb at an ally to heal them
- Orb Of Discord
- Launch this orb at an enemy to increase the damage they take
- Transcendence
- Become invulnerable and heal nearby allies
Zenyatta’s equipment undergoes minimal alterations, with the exception of his Snap Kick passive, which was introduced at a later stage. Nevertheless, be cautious when dealing with his Orb of Discord, as it amplifies the damage dealt to its target by 50% of the damage received.
All Game Modes & Maps in Overwatch Classic
In the classic version of Overwatch, a total of twelve maps are accessible across the Assault, Escort, Hybrid, and Control game types. Some of these maps may only be played outside of specific Arcade Modes and Custom Games after the Overwatch Classic event concludes.
Assault / 2 CP
- Hanamura
- Temple of Anubis
- Volskaya
Control
- Ilios
- Lijang Tower
- Nepal
Escort
- Dorado
- Route 66
- Watchpoint: Gibraltar
Hyrbid
- Hollywood
- King’s Row
- Numbani
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2024-11-18 10:15