Overwatch 2 Brings Back 6v6 In Season 14, But There's A Catch

Published Oct 25, 2024

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Blizzard is adding 6v6 matches back to Overwatch 2, two years after it was removed in favor of 5v5. The expansion to the popular free-to-play shooter struggled a bit when it first launched, experiencing balancing issues and long wait times for matches. One of the ways developer Blizzard attempted to mitigate the issues was by switching from 6v6 matches to 5v5. Now, the developer plans to reintroduce the original match type to the game but makes no promises about actually keeping it in the game.

The reintegration of 6v6 will happen gradually, Blizzard explains in a new Director's Take on their website. Throughout Season 14, the developers will be testing different variations of 6v6 matches to find a better balance. The team doesn't promise that the mode is here to stay, but rather is experimenting to see what works best: "Every day, millions of players jump into the core 5v5 format and the last thing we want is to negatively impact that experience."

What 6v6 Returning To Overwatch 2 Means For The Game

The Game May Keep Both Modes

When Overwatch 2 launched, it used a standard 6v6 mode that balanced 2 Tanks, 2 Healers, and 2 DPS. This reinforced team makeup caused imbalances and led to some sluggish matches before the game was updated to only need one tank per team. The change was made to eventually revisit the 6v6 format, and it looks like the time has come to do just that.

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During Season 14, Overwatch 2 will bring back the original 2-2-2 team matches, but it will also experiment with other types of matches within the 6v6 frame. The devs promise that the makeup will have at least one of each role, and no more than three. Blizzard will be looking to players for in deciding whether the mode should remain in the game in one of its forms. Regardless of whether 6v6 is a viable game mode for Overwatch 2, the developer diary implies that 5v5 will always be an option for players, even if 6v6 is here to stay.

Our Take: It's Good To See Blizzard Willing To Experiment With Overwatch 2

The Devs Are Willing To Listen To Fans

Although it's been a long time coming, it's good to see that 6v6 is making an appearance in Overwatch 2, as promised when it was initially removed. Instead of adding the mode back in and watching what happened, it looks like Blizzard is being careful about implementing changes that can potentially upset the game's balance.

Trying different ways and relying on player shows a willingness on Blizzard's part to listen to what players are saying after the game's rough start. It also shows that the developers have been paying attention to the way the player base is using the game. Open Play exists as an option in the game, but it's not used as often because it lacks an integrated balance, raising the need for Blizzard to step in and rebalance the teams. The team match experimentation will be held during Season 14 of Overwatch 2, which comes out on December 10.