Overwatch will keep 5v5 and 6v6 as separate modes going forward
Aaron Keller says the two formats can coexist, with dedicated balance updates planned for 6v6.
Aaron Keller released a new Director's Take in which he confirmed that Overwatch will move towards supporting both 5v5 and 6v6 as two separate modes.
He also plans a four-week 6v6 Role Queue Competitive mini-season launching with Season 6.
The decision came after multiple surveys where votes ended up being pretty equal between 5v5 and 6v6.
Why choose a mode if players clearly enjoy both?
The new mode will use the 2-2-2 team composition, with two Tanks, two Damage heroes, and two Supports. It will run at the same time as the existing 5v5 Competitive mode and 6v6 Open Queue, so you basically have three Competitive options from the first day of Season 6.
5v5 Remains the Main Format
Despite the new support for 6v6, Blizzard has no current plans to move Overwatch's main mode away from 5v5. Instead, the team wants to give players the choice between different experiences and continue gathering data to decide how best to support each one.
The four-week Role Queue mini season should also help Blizzard understand how much interest there is in a more structured 6v6 mode, while the existing Open Queue remains available.
For now, it looks like you will not have to pick a side. Both formats are getting room to grow.
Blizzard Plans Dedicated 6v6 Balance Updates
Keller explained that Blizzard had previously been hesitant to bring back Role Queue for 6v6 because of potential matchmaking queue times.
But the surveys showed that player preferences are split fairly evenly between the two formats, with 32% of respondents strongly favouring each one.
6v6 Open Queue has also become Overwatch's second most-played mode in Season 5, so there is definitely enough interest for it. It gave Blizzard enough reason to keep it.
There is also a lot of balance planned for 6v6.
Until now, the mode has mostly inherited the balance changes made for the standard game. But Keller pointed out that this has not always worked well, with heroes such as D.Mon performing better in 6v6 while Domina struggles more, for example.
The upcoming balance adjustments will apply to both Open Queue and Role Queue 6v6. It will take place during the Competitive mini season.
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