Blizzard is bringing back 6v6 matches in testing for Overwatch 2 when it launches its subsequent season in December. The corporate had beforehand switched the sequence to a 5v5 format, and Blizzard is now attempting these exams to search out the way it can “make the core recreation even stronger” by a balanced new model of the traditional 6v6 mode that lets every staff have a number of tank characters as soon as once more.
Sport director Aaron Keller says Blizzard is aware of the 5v5 format appealed to and introduced in a brand new group of gamers, and builders are hoping to repeat that success with the addition of 6v6 (which received’t substitute present codecs). For an in depth write-up of what’s altering, you may learn the full director’s take.
In July, Keller famous among the points 6v6 confronted had been hero balancing, recreation efficiency, and the way to ensure gamers can nonetheless get into video games shortly if it splits the inhabitants between 5v5 and 6v6 recreation modes. One hero balancing change contains giving tanks much less survivability and making them not as highly effective.
Overwatch 2 Season 14 can have two completely different alternatives to strive 6v6; the primary will use a brand new “Open Queue” format the place every staff of six will need to have at the least one in all every function (tank, harm, assist) and not more than three of any function. You’ll additionally be capable to change roles on the fly. The second 6v6 check will occur in the course of the season and can let you’ve got two of every function per staff.
There may also be a 5v5 check in Season 13 by which there shall be a most of two gamers in every function, and tanks shall be weaker than beforehand.
My colleague Richard Lawler, who’s an avid participant, mentioned Overwatch 2’s change that eliminated one tank participant from every staff made the game simpler, but in addition “made it look like the end result of the sport depended a bit of an excessive amount of on that one function.”