Overwatch 2 may test a return to six-player teams

Overwatch 2 may test a return to six-player teams

<a data-i13n="cpos:1;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/tag/blizzard/">Blizzard[/url] has provided an update that will be music to the ears of many <a data-i13n="cpos:2;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/tag/overwatch-2/">Overwatch 2[/url] fans. The publisher plans to experiment with a range of team compositions beyond the <a data-i13n="cpos:3;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/overwatch-2-5-v-5-212441103.html">role-locked 5v5 format[/url] that the game currently has. That includes a potential revival of six-player teams from the original Overwatch.
"The community has, juuuust once or twice, suggested a test," Overwatch 2 game director Aaron Keller wrote in a blog post. "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 is quick to point out that it may take some time before the team runs a 6v6 trial. Overwatch 2 was designed from the ground up for five-player teams, with hero balancing and map designs (and redesigns) taking into account the reduced damage mitigation from having one fewer tank on each side.
There are technical considerations here too, as features such as visual upgrades, more technically demanding hero kits and the ability to see outlines of allies through walls impact Overwatch 2's performance. As such, shifting from 10-player to 12-player lobbies could have a negative impact on performance, particularly on older or less-powerful systems.
"Overwatch is a fast-paced game, and maintaining a game that runs smoothly across all our platforms is important for the player’s experience," Keller wrote. "While a limited-time test could arrive sooner, the team is still investigating exactly how long it would take to permanently increase performance across the game. This would be a large effort that would most likely take at least several seasons to accomplish."
<figure><img src="https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2024-04/ebfc25b0-fdc1-11ee-a8cd-a78062d9d1a4" data-crop-orig-src="https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2024-04/ebfc25b0-fdc1-11ee-a8cd-a78062d9d1a4" style="height:540px;width:960px;" alt="Sombra in Overwatch 2" data-uuid="5d4d2940-2ddb-384c-b949-3841415fea43"><figcaption></figcaption><div class="photo-credit">Blizzard Entertainment</div></figure>
The possibility of lengthier queue times is also a concern if 6v6 tests are a success and the format sticks around in some way for the long haul. <a data-i13n="cpos:4;pos:1" href="https://overwatch.blizzard.com/en-us/news/24104605/">Keller's blog post is a lengthy read[/url], but well worth taking the time to check out if you're interested in how we ended up at 5v5 with players locked to specific roles in the core modes. One of the reasons why Blizzard ditched a tank from each team with the <a data-i13n="cpos:5;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/overwatch-2-free-to-play-early-access-date-174155851.html">launch of Overwatch 2 two years ago[/url] was that it was the least popular of the three roles, with damage in first place and support in between. Having one fewer tank has helped to reduce queue times across the board.
Keller notes that his team does have some ideas about how to tackle potentially longer queue times if 6v6 returns for the long haul, but it wasn't a problem that was solved in the past and it's not a sure thing that the fresh strategies will work. "Is there a world where people are willing to live with long queue times to play this format? Maybe, but that’s a pretty risky move to make," Keller wrote. "We also have tens of millions of new players that have only played 5v5. We want to be openly mindful not to frustrate those who like the game as it is today."
There are other reasons why Blizzard changed to a 5v5 format including that it wasn't necessarily fun to play against a team that used two shield-based tanks. Chokepoints could feel oppressive with two tanks blocking the path. Dropping one of them and placing more of an emphasis on things like flanking, individual impact and a little thing called first-person shooting (with more opportunities to actually shoot at opponents instead of barriers) was designed to make gameplay more fluid and fun. Team fights with multiple tanks on each side also were often a war of attrition until ultimate abilities became available, especially during <a data-i13n="cpos:6;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/2019-08-29-overwatch-league-viewers-meta-goats-role-lock.html">the infamous GOATS meta[/url].
<div id="e4b9364302d142d0a9a4d8243c99c186"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Tanks for the memories