Blizzard is already planning to bring back Overwatch 2's 6v6 mode with testing scheduled for December 2024.
The development comes after the hero-shooter title switched to a 5v5 format when it launched in 2022 to make matches more balanced. The studio now announced that it is looking to bring back the original structure in the next season of Overwatch 2.
Overwatch 2's 6v6 Structure
The team behind the game announced in a new blog post that they will be conducting two separate testing periods for Overwatch 2's return to a 6v6 structure. The first test will be held one week after the start of the new season, which begins on Dec. 10, 2024.
Instead of a direct comeback to the 2-2-2 role spread from the original Overwatch, the developer's test will require people's teams to have at least one hero for each role.
However, it would not allow more than three of the same roles in every team composition, according to The Verge.
The main point of this requirement is so that each team will have at least one of each role that is available. The restrictions also avoid having teams being skewed into one particular meta, such as having six damage heroes to plow through the enemy team.
The second test for the return of the 6v6 structure will be held midway through the game's season. The main difference during this time is that it would "incorporate some new principles" that players can experience.
These include things like incorporating hero reworks and not prioritizing crowd control abilities. Some players have already started to hope that the Sombra revision that was implemented in the current season will be reverted at the time of the test, Kotaku said.
Implementing Various Changes
On top of the test for the 6v6 structure, Blizzard is also planning to have a test for a new variation of the current 5v5 mode. This would limit a team of five people to only have a maximum of two heroes per role.
This allows teams to finally have two tank-type heroes once more but the developer will be implementing some nerfs to balance the meta.
Blizzard also plans to add a new game mode midseason codenamed "Kingmaker" to reward players who are the only ones in the team with a particular hero role.
Game director Aaron Keller said that they will introduce a series of balance changes to the two test modes for the 6v6 structure. He added that the power and survivability of tanks will be nerfed, according to Polygon.
