The developers of Overwatch 2 have announced their intention to reintroduce 6v6 gameplay by conducting a series of tests to determine whether the game should permanently switch back to its previous format.
Upon its release, Overwatch 2 distinguished itself from the original game by implementing a 5v5 format, where each team would only have one tank, in order to prioritize FPS gameplay and decrease wait times for players in queues.
Despite this alteration, it resulted in a decrease in team cohesion and the elimination of epic ultimate combinations that had captivated certain individuals in the original version.
After receiving years of complaints and petitions from its players, Overwatch 2 will finally be bringing back 6v6 gameplay… in a way.
According to Game Director Aaron Keller, our team is considering organizing a series of events in Overwatch 2 to experiment with various core team compositions. We are currently exploring ways to implement different 6v6 formats in the game and assess their effectiveness.
While it may not be explicitly mentioned, the phrase “different forms of 6v6″could refer to the inclusion of a third DPS on each team while still maintaining the limit of one tank per team.
According to Keller, the results of these tests will provide the team with insight on the game’s direction, and he proposed the possibility of a world where both 5v5 and 6v6 coexist.
Nevertheless, there are some challenges that come with implementing these tests.
According to Keller, OW2 has received a number of performance and visual upgrades that may result in some challenges when playing with 12 players in a match.
The team clarified that while a limited time test may be implemented sooner, they are currently researching the length of time it would take to permanently improve performance throughout the game. This would require a significant amount of effort and is estimated to take at least several seasons to complete.
In addition, Keller raised concerns about the potential for queue times to once again become an issue if 6v6 became a permanent feature, as the team was unsuccessful in finding a resolution during the days of OW1.
Surprisingly, the developers have more than just 6v6 experiments planned for testing out different formats.
Overwatch 2 players have been hoping for 6v6 to return.
“According to Keller, there may be alternative methods of forming a team that are not as fixed as a specific composition, but also not as flexible as Open Queue. In Season 13, they plan on implementing at least one Quick Play: Hacked mode that incorporates this concept, showing a desire to reintroduce a sense of “freedom”in Overwatch matches.”
The team has a variety of options for the future of OW2, and they appear to be open to exploring all possibilities in order to add excitement to the gameplay and find a solution that satisfies players.
It is possible that the optimal format for the game is not role-lock 5v5 or 6v6, but rather a different format that has not yet been tried.
The developers have promised that additional information will be revealed in the upcoming months, but the 6v6 discussion is far from over. As debates surrounding the optimal Overwatch format continue to be a highly debated topic, it is safe to say that this will not be the last time we hear about it.
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