Highlights

  • Players can relive Overwatch 1's 6v6 matches in Overwatch 2 thanks to a custom game mode that mirrors the original meta and hero stats.
  • Gamers can join the Overwatch 1 Emulator's Discord server to play ranked and unranked lobbies with over 1,000 fans using the in-house MMR system.
  • A special lobby with an experimental patch featuring the 2021 Overwatch April Fools event will also be available during the first week of April.

Overwatch 2 players have created a new custom game mode to recreate Overwatch 1's signature 6v6 matches within the game. The game mode appears to be the most authentic way to experience 6v6 matches in Overwatch 2, as a dedicated fan ensured the mode carries over aspects of the final release version of the original Overwatch game.

Despite criticism by fans during the rocky launch of Overwatch 2, Blizzard's post-launch support has helped retain and grow the hero shooter's community over time. Overwatch 2 Season 10 will soon begin on April 16 with major balance adjustments, the new Hero Venture, and changes to battle pass progression. All players, including those who choose not to buy a battle pass, will receive access to Venture and her new abilities. Some Overwatch 2 players are still longing for 6v6 matches to return in an official capacity, however.

Overwatch 2 Fans Think an Upcoming Apex Legends Skin is Ripping Off Cyber Demon Genji
Related
Overwatch 2 Fans Think an Upcoming Apex Legends Skin is Ripping Off Cyber Demon Genji

Overwatch 2 fans point out glaring similarities between the Cyber Demon Genji skin and the leaked Revenant skin in Apex Legends.

Reddit user ecksdeetsafrepus unveiled the "Overwatch 1 Emulator," a new workshop game mode that lets players enjoy 6v6 matches within Overwatch 2. By using workshop scripts, ecksdeetsafrepus recreated the Overwatch 1 meta that players experienced before the launch of Overwatch 2, including the exact HP stats, cooldown values, and damage values for each respective hero. These values were referenced by using the Wayback Machine on the Overwatch Wiki, which previously tracked exact stats for the original game. What's more, the custom game mode also uses matchmaking ratings, or MMR for short, in order to determine overall skill levels for each player and encourage match fairness.

Fan Brings Back Overwatch 1 6v6 With Custom Overwatch 2 Game Mode

  • Recreates 6v6 matches and Overwatch 1 meta
  • Uses MMR-based system
  • Tank and support passive abilities are inactive
  • Ranked and unranked lobbies

Although the game mode uses heroes from the first Overwatch game, fans may install the "Overwatch 1++" fork to use Overwatch 2 heroes. However, none of the support and tank heroes from Overwatch and Overwatch 2 can use passive abilities. Due to certain workshop limitations, some visual effects and ability workarounds were not implemented as well. For example, animations for Doomfist's Rising Uppercut ability are absent.

The 6v6 workshop game mode will receive fixes over time, and Overwatch 2 players interested in downloading the game mode and trying it out may also join the Overwatch 1 Emulator's Discord server to play with more than 1,000 other fans in the community. According to ecksdeetsafrepus, the server hosts ranked and unranked lobbies using the game mode's in-house MMR system. During the first week of April, an experimental patch featuring the 2021 Overwatch April Fools event will be released by the user, allowing players to experience the event within Overwatch 2. Weekly lobbies will also be held on Saturdays at 3:00 p.m. PDT.