Blizzard’s check of the return to 6v6 format will kick off throughout season 14 of Overwatch 2, which ought to begin on or round Dec. 10. That first check interval will likely be a variation of the sport’s Open Queue format, Keller mentioned, which is described as “Min 1, Max 3” — which means every staff of six should have a minimum of certainly one of every position, and not more than three. Gamers will be capable of swap roles on the fly, so long as the staff comp adheres to the “Min 1, Max 3” rule.
A second check is predicted to kick off through the center of season 14, which means someday in mid-January. That check will observe the unique Overwatch’s 2-2-2 composition. Each exams will see “a sequence of steadiness modifications that can apply to those two check modes solely,” Keller mentioned. “The ability and survivability of tanks will go down in these 6v6 codecs, and we’ll be looking at whether or not we want most of the passives that we’ve added in Overwatch 2.”
Blizzard will likely be conducting related experiments this season, however with the prevailing 5v5 format in Fast Play. The primary, known as “Restrict 2,” will permit for a most variety of two gamers per position — which means that, sure, there will likely be a possibility to have two tanks on a staff of 5. If a staff is operating twin tanks in Restrict 2, these gamers will likely be tuned to Open Queue steadiness, which provides tanks much less well being.
No matter how these exams work out, it doesn’t sound like Blizzard is totally committing to a definitive staff dimension.
“Is there a world the place each 5v5 and 6v6 exist completely in Overwatch 2? In the event you had requested me just a few months in the past, I’d have mentioned no,” Keller mentioned. “As we’ve mentioned Overwatch 2’s future in gentle of creating the sport that our gamers wish to play, we all know our gamers can need multiple expertise, and it could be one thing we’d want to think about shifting ahead.”
It feels like the following few months will likely be a number of the most attention-grabbing for longtime Overwatch 2 gamers, significantly for tanks, who’ve been struggling to various levels since Blizzard instituted the 5v5 swap. Whether or not 6v6 or extra fluid staff comps will relieve any of that ache stays to be seen, nevertheless it’s clear that the Overwatch staff is throwing so much on the wall to see what resonates with gamers.