Welcome back to another Director’s Take. Back in July, we opened the conversation around 6v6 and 5v5, and now we’d like to continue that conversation as well as share a few updates coming in Season 13 and Season 14.
Previously, we talked about the different format changes throughout Overwatch’s history, why we switched to 5v5, and where we plan to go from here. Included in those next steps, we said we're looking at running a series of tests to try out different core team composition formats in Overwatch 2.
These format tests are all about understanding if we can make the core game even stronger. Every day, millions of players jump into the core 5v5 format and the last thing we want is to negatively impact that experience. The exciting thing about these tests is the potential to introduce something that could appeal to another group of players, ones that might have felt uncertain about the move to 5v5 when Overwatch 2 launched
If you didn’t read the previous 6v6 Director’s Take blog, check it out, because now we’re going to dive into plans for the 6v6 and format tests mentioned there.
Upcoming 6v6 tests in Season 14
The team has been exploring our vision and development for these tests, and we’re happy to announce we will be running two different 6v6 tests in Season 14.
The first, launching a week into the season, will look a little different than the standard 2-2-2 role-queued from Overwatch. Part of this series of tests is to not only judge our player’s appetite for larger team sizes, but for us to explore different ways that we might implement a change without running into the same problems we had previously. With that in mind, our first test will be a variation of Open Queue, which we’re internally referring to as “Min 1, Max 3”: each team of 6 must have at least 1 of each role, and no more than 3.
There are a few different combinations here that you will be able to try, but this opens up many different team compositions that we haven’t seen before in Overwatch 2. You will be able to switch roles on the fly during a match as long as that switch doesn’t break the “Min 1, Max 3” limit.
Besides experimenting with a format that could be seen as a middle ground to Role Queue and Open Queue, this will also give us a look at how Overwatch 2 heroes, abilities, and updates work in a 6v6 environment before we expand to other types of tests.
The second 6v6 test, during Season 14 midcycle, will be the classic 2-2-2 composition but will incorporate some new principles we introduced with Overwatch 2 (like less CC and hero reworks).
The 6v6 tests will have their own card in Unranked alongside other modes, and they will not take the place of other types of game modes like seasonal events or Quick Play: Hacked. We’ll also be implementing a series of balance changes that will apply to these two test modes only. The power and survivability of tanks will go down in these 6v6 formats, and we’ll be taking a look at whether we need many of the passives that we’ve added in Overwatch 2.
Upcoming game modes in Season 13
We will be hosting two 5v5 format experiments in Season 13 that are also aimed at testing flexibility within this format, similarly to the 6v6 tests. We’re planning a Quick Play: Hacked coming soon, which we are calling “Limit 2”. This will be 5v5, with the maximum number of each role limited to two. This includes Tanks, but they will be tuned to Open Queue balance, meaning they will have less health. You can freely switch heroes and roles as long as the new role doesn’t already have two players.
Like the 6v6 limits tests, we’re trying to look at how the game in its current state works if players have more freedom with team compositions without making it full Open Queue.
For the Season 13 midcycle, we’re planning a special game mode currently codenamed “Kingmaker.” Like “Limit 2”, the maximum number of each role is limited to two - however, the player who is alone in their role gets a bonus! We will talk more about how the mode works in more detail closer to its launch, but like “Limit 2”, we’re exploring more freedom in 5v5 while enabling more types of compositions to succeed.
Quick Play: Hacked, “Limit 2”, and “Kingmaker” will provide an excellent benchmark and framework for us going into the 6v6 tests. We’re looking forward to seeing what statistics we can gather as you dive into these modes, alongside your feedback, which is one of our strongest data points!
A world with 5v5 and 6v6?
As we mentioned in our previous piece, we will be watching the reception and results of these tests closely. Another sentiment from that piece that I would like to reiterate here is that the Overwatch team wants to make the game that you want to play. So, what does that mean for the future, based on these experiments?
In the world where a surge of players join this mode and continuously play it, then we have the signal we need to do more with it. I think what that “more” is depends on the level of excitement. Is there a world where both 5v5 and 6v6 exist permanently in Overwatch 2? If you had asked me a few months ago, I would have said no. As we’ve discussed Overwatch 2’s future in light of making the game that our players want to play, we know our players can want more than one experience, and it would be something we'd need to consider moving forward.
More to come closer to Season 14
The upcoming months are going to have a ton of excitement with Quick Play: Hacked “Limit 2” and “Kingmaker” in Season 13, multiple 6v6 tests in Season 14, and maybe another special surprise just around the corner.
The team couldn’t be more stoked to share these updates with you, and we’ll be diving in alongside you. The way that we take Overwatch to the next level is by centering all of you at the heart of what we create, and the directions we take together. Your feedback and collaboration with our team will always be an essential part of Overwatch’s development.
Stay tuned for more news and announcements in the weeks to come, and we’ll have more information to share on the 6v6 tests in Season 14 and Quick Play: Hacked events closer to their launches.
Let’s make a great game!