Blizzard Brings Back 6v6 Matches to Overwatch 2 Temporarily

Blizzard seems to be responding to player feedback. On Thursday, the Overwatch team announced the return of 6v6 matches, following their controversial removal in Overwatch 2—but this return is primarily for testing purposes.

In a blog post, the team indicated they plan to conduct two tests involving 6v6 gameplay in the forthcoming season 14. The first test will occur about a week after the season launches on December 10, featuring an Open Queue scenario that allows players to switch characters during the match, while ensuring each team must have at least one character from each role, but with a maximum of three heroes in total per team. For example, if three damage heroes are already chosen, players can’t switch to Genji.

The second 6v6 trial is scheduled for mid-season and will revert to a 2-2-2 composition—two damage, two tanks, and two support characters on each team—while integrating updates from Overwatch 2. Although the blog didn’t specify the exact changes, it will include a reduction in crowd control effects.

The team stated, “This series of tests serves to gauge players’ interest in larger team sizes as well as to explore different approaches for implementing changes while avoiding past issues.”

Initially, Overwatch launched with a 6v6 format, which quickly resulted in composition challenges, especially during the game’s early days, as role restrictions were not in place. This inconsistency made balancing heroes difficult for developers. When role limits were introduced, they led to extended queue times and limited meta strategies, complicating competitive play.

With the switch to 5v5 for Overwatch 2, many players expressed dissatisfaction. While it wasn’t enough to deter players entirely from continuing with the game, it significantly altered gameplay dynamics—not always for the better. The faster pace suited certain heroes but didn’t remedy many of the developers’ ongoing challenges.

The results from these 6v6 tests, combined with findings from two other 5v5 trials in season 13, will inform future directions for the game. “Is it possible for both 5v5 and 6v6 to coexist in Overwatch 2? Just a few months ago, my answer would have been no,” the post indicated. “We recognize that players may desire varied experiences, and that’s something we will need to consider moving forward.”