“At the end of the day, we want to make the game that players want to play.”
The latest Overwatch 2 director's take just addressed the switch from the first game's six-versus-six (6v6) mode to the sequel's five-versus-five (5v5) mode. In the post, Aaron Keller revealed that Overwatch 2 players can expect events involving different formats.
Overwatch 2 to get 6v6 playtests
"With that said, we're looking at running a series of events to try out different core team composition formats in Overwatch 2," Keller stated. "The community has, juuuust once or twice, suggested a test. Why not put various forms of 6v6 in the game in order to gauge the results?"
He continued, noting that based on player feedback, the Overwatch 2 team is exploring different forms of 6v6 to gauge the results. This is taking time due to the complex task of optimizing Overwatch 2's technical performance for 12-player matches. Another reason pertains to potential increases in queue times.
"We’d run the test for a few weeks and gauge interest from the community," Keller's post added. Then we’d measure the impact it had on the other experiences in Overwatch 2, like 5v5, Arcade, etc. We’d take the lessons from this playtest to see what we can learn about the mode within the current game ecosystem and for the future of Overwatch."
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Why did Overwatch 2 become a 5v5?
Other parts of the director's take revealed the reasoning behind the switch to 5v5 mode as well, citing better individual agency, less crowd control and damage mitigation, increased impact for damage heroes, more agency for support heroes, and stopping tank synergy from slowing down the game.
"People point to the double shield meta as an example of this," Keller explained. "It wasn’t just about double shields, though. The ability to stack a very defense heavy lineup, especially in game modes that required a team to push through a small choke, caused a lot of matches to feel like there was no progress at all."
The game is faster now as well, according to Keller. This allows players to move around the map more easily.
Quick Play: Hacked improvements in Season 13
Keller then acknowledged that some Overwatch 2 changes have reduced the variety in matches. Therefore, his team plans to experiment with different team compositions and re-examine past solutions. A Quick Play: Hacked event in Season 13 will be run based on this idea.
That's all for now. Stick around on esports.gg for more news and updates.
