Is 6v6 coming back in Overwatch 2? New tests & format changes explained
BlizzardOverwatch 2’s director has released a blog discussing the potential return of 6v6 in Overwatch 2, with new tests coming in the future. So, here is everything you need to know about the old format coming back into focus.
Ever since Overwatch transitioned to its sequel, with the switch from 6v6 to 5v5 and a tank slot being removed, many fans have been yearning to go back to the days of the old format.
Enough so that players have created their own 6v6 game modes to show that the format is still viable in the modern game. As debates ramped up on the topic, Aaron Keller himself – Overwatch 2’s Game Director – addressed it personally.
So, here is everything you need to know about the future of 6v6 in Overwatch 2.
Is 6v6 returning in Overwatch 2?
Yes, 6v6 is returning in Overwatch 2, to some degree. As announced in Aaron Keller’s blog, the dev team is planning to run a series of events to test out the viability of 6v6 in Overwatch 2.
However, as he wrote, the test will “try out different core team composition formats”. This means they are looking to test different forms of 6v6, so we could have an experiment of three DPSs in a team rather than the old 2-2-2.
These tests are not coming any time soon though, as Keller didn’t give a time frame for their arrival, and based on his wording, the dev team is only now starting to look into it.
As Keller explained, the future tests will be based on player reception, impact on queue times, technical constraints, and a whole host of different factors to decide if Overwatch 2 should switch back to 6v6.
Is 5v5 leaving Overwatch 2?
No, 5v5 isn’t leaving Overwatch 2 anytime soon. As Keller explained, currently the team is “focused on making 5v5 the best experience that it can be.”
Overwatch 2’s director said that this is because of all the technical problems 6v6 posed, many of which 5v5 did fix. Some of these included queue times, emphasizing the importance of individual DPS and Support, and many more – so they aren’t looking to switch back right now.
BlizzardOverwatch 2’s Lead Hero Designer, Alec Dawson, has said that 5v5 is putting too much pressure on solo tanks, as players are constantly being made to swap to accommodate counters.
However, Keller says the team is open-minded to re-evaluating their decisions based on feedback they’ve gotten from the community (a good example is the recent revert of Cassidy’s Grenade).
When will the 6v6 tests arrive in Overwatch 2?
There currently is no time frame for when the 6v6 tests will take place, but there will be tests coming in the near future that may be related to the 6v6 trials.
As Keller says in the blog, future tests are open to giving players more “freedom”, and in Season 13 they are planning on doing another Quick Play: Hacked event to test out some of their ideas, but it won’t be 6v6.
This event, as would be explained in an interview, will be different role experimentations in 5v5. This upcoming one still functioning in a 1-2-2 format, but this time any role can be the solo role.