Blizzard has confirmed that they will be bringing back 6v6 to Overwatch 2, but not quite all the way.
On a lengthy blog on their site, director Aaron Keller revealed that they would be testing 6v6 in a limited capacity, to see how it will play out. Aaron also gave a very detailed explanation of why they moved from 6v6 to 5v5 in the first place, and this looks like a sincere attempt to address the ongoing discourse about it among fans.
We won’t go through each point, but there are some things that all players will want to know. The Overwatch team named what specific things were improved in the game after they switched to 5v5.
For one, just that extra player on each team makes it so that games don’t finish until someone gets to their Ultimate. On another end, 5v5 meant that players could be beaten more easily, which also means matches don’t take too long because too many players survive huge onslaughts from the other team.
For those who complained that Overwatch was more about the heroes than the shooters, 5v5 was meant to address specifically this. Tanks are less important now, and damage and support heroes are subsequently more important, as they are now free to attack more often themselves.
On a practical level, it’s simply easier to track down ten players than it is twelve. That isn’t for the game, but for players who have to worry about a bit too many teammates and opponents than necessary. But the last one is probably the one that would make any 6v6 aficionado think twice.
5v5 reduced queues for new games, and that is so fundamental to live service games that it can make the total difference on how fun it is to experience them. When player numbers are at their lowest, and matches are at their most infrequent, it is absolutely helpful to not have to wait for an extra two players to join the lobby. Blizzard shared the data that bolstered this claim as well, so this one isn’t up for debate at all.
Keller explains that they are looking at two particular issues now that they’re testing 6v6 again. First, before they bring it in the game, they have to reprogram Overwatch 2 so that it can properly handle the new format.
But they’re also worried about what will happen to queues if the fans decide that they want to stick to 6v6 after all. The team is thinking of potential solutions to that, but the main thing is, they want to see if it will work out as much as their players do.
No dates for when Blizzard is bringing back 6v6, but we imagine a lot of lapsed players are ready to jump back in for it.
