Get ready for a blast from the past, Overwatch fans! Blizzard has listened to player feedback and is bringing back the beloved 6v6 format in Overwatch 2, albeit for testing purposes. The news came as a surprise, especially after the controversial shift to 5v5 in Overwatch 2’s launch.
The Overwatch team announced that they’ll be running two 6v6 tests in the upcoming Season 14, starting on December 10th. The first test, kicking off a week into the season, will feature an Open Queue format. This means players can switch heroes on the fly, but they have to maintain a minimum of one role while not exceeding three per team. So you won’t be able to jump onto Genji if your team already has three damage heroes.
The second test, scheduled for the middle of Season 14, will bring back the familiar 2-2-2 composition (two damage, two tanks, and two support per team). However, it will incorporate changes from Overwatch 2, such as reduced crowd control. While the specifics of these changes remain undisclosed, the team emphasizes that they want to see if a 6v6 format can be implemented without repeating the issues that led to the switch to 5v5 in the first place.
The move back to 6v6 is a significant response to player feedback. While 5v5 offered a faster pace, it didn’t completely address the issues Blizzard aimed to solve, and it wasn’t universally loved. The developers are now looking to explore if both 5v5 and 6v6 can coexist in Overwatch 2, suggesting that they might be open to offering players a choice in the future.
The results from these tests, along with those from the two 5v5 iterations happening in Season 13, will determine the course of action. Whether 6v6 becomes a permanent fixture in Overwatch 2 remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: Blizzard is committed to listening to the community and exploring options that can make the game more enjoyable for everyone.