Summary
WithOverwatch 2’s initial trial run of the Overwatch Classic mode having ended, game director Aaron Keller reveals some promising player statistics that demonstrate that the event was a particularly successful endeavor. Though fans ofOverwatch 2will have to settle back into the sequel’s typical 5v5 matches again for now, it seems they won’t have to wait long until Overwatch Classic returns.
One of the mostconsequential departures thatOverwatch 2madefrom its predecessor was dropping traditional 6v6 matches in favor of smaller 5v5 ones - a change that has always been heavily criticized by many longtime fans for any number of reasons. Just the limitation of a single tank per team and the smaller overall lobby sizes fundamentally impact the ebb and flow of any given battle, and with many of the game’s other, smaller issues often being traced back to the shift to 5-player teams, it felt inevitable that 6v6 would, in some capacity, make its return eventually.
Not only did Overwatch Classic bring back 6-player teams for a time, it even returned some heroes' old abilities from way back in the day, such as Hanzo’s Scatter Arrow. With the limited-time event having run its three-week course,Overwatch 2director Aaron Keller recently provided the community some insight into how the mode performed via various player statistics. Keller stated that theOverwatch 2team is “really happy with how well Classic did,” with 36% of all player hours being spent in Overwatch Classic when the mode launched in November - a significant level of time investment for anevent game mode inOverwatch 2.
Overwatch Classic’s Engagement Metrics Bode Well for Its Return in Season 14
This metric dropped to 4% by the time the limited-time event was nearing its end - stated by Keller to be about the standard level of investment for an event mode near the end of its run, though this does show that no shortage of players chose to return to standard 5v5 matches for one reason or another. Additionally, Keller shared that a whoping 71% of all activeplayers tried out Overwatch Classicat least once on the day it launched. This goes to show that even despite the countless new players that the free-to-play sequel has attracted, a notable majority of players still have a taste for the original.
The total number of players loading up the mode on the daily fell to around 11% as the event came to an end - a decent chunk of players still, and enough to make Overwatch Classic the fourth most popular game mode inOverwatch 2at the time. Fans can look forward toOverwatch Classic returning for a time in Season 14, and while the mode doesn’t have a set return date just yet, Keller claims that players can expect Classic to make its return soon.
Overwatch 2
WHERE TO PLAY
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.
