For those that missed the 6v6 format of the first Overwatch and wished it was in Overwatch 2, you’ll be able to get that familiar taste back soon, though only temporarily, as Blizzard Entertainment has announced that they will be testing the Overwatch 2 6v6 mode in Season 14.
This was announced by the studio in a new blog post today centered around the 6v6 discussion for Overwatch 2. According to Blizzard, they are conducting two different tests for the 6v6 mode both happening in the game’s next season. The first test, which will launch a week into Season 14, won’t be your standard 2-2-2 role queue from the first Overwatch, but rather, will be more like Open Queue, which the studio internally refers to as “Min 1, Max 3”: each team of 6 must have at least 1 of each role, and no more than 3.
Related
Riot Games has officially teased that a ‘playable experience’ for VALORANT is in development.
The second test happens in Season 14’s mid-cycle, and will offer the familiar 2-2-2 team composition (two damage, two support, two tanks), though it will incorporate some principles introduced in OW2 such as fewer CC’s (crowd control) and the hero reworks. These 6v6 tests will have their own card in Unranked alongside other modes, and won’t take the place of other games modes like seasonal events or Quick Play. Blizzard adds that they will also implement balance changes that will apply to these two 6v6 test modes, with the tank role feeling the biggest change, as their power and survivability will go down.
Can 5v5 and 6v6 Co-Exist in Overwatch 2?
For those wondering whether there’s a future where Overwatch 2 can feature both 5v5 and 6v6, this is something Blizzard has thought of as well. While the studio can’t answer that question right now, the dev team notes that they want to make a game that players will want to play. If the community clamors for it, and Blizz gets the “signal” that it is what players want, they are open to the idea of it, since they know their players could want more than one experience.
With Overwatch 2’s Season 13 launching just this month, and each season of the hero shooter lasting for a total of nine weeks, this means Season 14 will fall somewhere in mid-December. I don’t know about you, but getting the 6v6 mode back — albeit temporarily — in December will feel like an early Christmas present from the studio to the community. If you like what you play, then, make sure to let your voice be heard by Blizzard to have 6v6 stick.
If you’ve only recently played Overwatch 2, the first Overwatch which was released in 2016 amd wasn’t free-to-play, featured a 6v6 format in all modes. Blizzard, in wanting to push for a much faster style of play, decided to eschew having two tanks available in a team, to avoid having two shields clogging up the battlefield. It’s debatable whether this was the right move or not, and I suspect it’ll depend on who you ask.
Released October 4, 2022
Developer(s) Blizzard
Publisher(s) Blizzard
Engine Proprietary Engine
ESRB T
Expand
