Overwatch 2 to test a 6v6 mode in season 14, allowing tank players to have each others’ backs again

One of the core changes pitched to differentiate the original Overwatch from the cooler, hipper Overwatch 2 which actually made it to the game was the swap from a six player team to a five player team, but community outcry has caused the development team to re-evaluate that change, starting with a trial run of 6v6 in Season 14. The devs will also be adding a few game modes with the current 5v5 paradigm during Season 13 (currently live) aimed at trying to smooth over a big part of the reasoning for cutting that tank for the sequel: brutal queue times for everyone not picking the tank role.

As someone who had a lot of fun with the bruiser offtanks back in OG OW, the idea of bringing back 6v6 seems fun. However, as someone who took up that role in OG OW solely because I only have so much time to play and I didn’t want to wait out the tank queue times — even as someone who usually mains Support — I’m a little skeptical of the longevity of a 6v6 mode after the immediate shine wears off and the queue times start to linger again. Even if 6v6 is wildly popular that seems like an eventuality. The first test in Season 14 will seek to potentially address this, with players being able to flex their roles with a max of 3 and min of 1, so you could start with 3 Tanks, 2 Support, 1 DPS, and after an initial choke is broken 2 tanks could flex to DPS, or 1 DPS, 1 Support. This will then be followed by a traditional locked 2-2-2 6v6 test phase.

The more imminent Season 13 testing will have two phases as well, both 5v5. The first phase will have a limit two to each role, including tanks, with current tuning, while the second phase called “Kingmaker” will allow whichever person is in the singleton role to be “better,” whatever that means.

The team stressed that this does not mean that 6v6 will enter as a permanent mode — and it’s certainly a stretch to think it would replace 5v5 outright. We’ll see what the numbers say.