Blizzard Is Looking at Bringing 6v6 Back to Overwatch, But it Won't be Easy
Blizzard Entertainment has laid out plans to begin testing for the potential return of 6v6 matchups in Overwatch 2…eventually.
The update on the controversy plaguing the Overwatch community comes from game director Aaron Keller, who posted a 3600-word Director’s Take blog post on the subject today. It’s a lengthy statement on the history of 6v6, why it was removed with the launch of Overwatch 2, and how Blizzard plans to experiment with the mode once again. That’s right – the team is interested in bringing back the 12-player option nearly two years after it was swapped out for the faster-paced 5v5 mode.
“The community has, juuuust once or twice, suggested a test,” Keller says. “Why not put various forms of 6v6 in the game in order to gauge the results? We agree, and based on your feedback, we’re exploring how we can test different forms of 6v6 in the game to gauge the results.”
Keller says that while the team remains focused on ironing out 5v5, it is also “looking at running a series of events to try out different core team composition formats in Overwatch 2.” Even the smallest sign of 6v6 is enough to reignite interest in players who have begged for its return, but implementing these tests is not as simple as just flipping a switch. Technological challenges presented by 12-player lobbies is one of the biggest hurdles to overcome. The game director explains that, while the team is investigating a permanent performance increase across all platforms, it’s a “large effort that would most likely take at least several seasons to accomplish.” There’s also the issue of queue times, which could be potentially inflated across the entire Overwatch 2 experience should something like 6v6 stick around.
No matter how badly some players want 6v6 back, alterations to the Overwatch 2 formula present new challenges to overcome. Though Keller says a new iteration of Quick Play: Hacked will experiment with team assembly at some point during Season 13, it’s not exactly clear when official
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