Summary
- Overwatch 2 will introduce 6v6 tests in Season 14.
- Tests include Min 1, Max 3 mode and traditional 2-2-2 role setup with balance changes.
- Blizzard aims to reshape Overwatch 2 based on player feedback, potentially allowing 5v5 and 6v6 modes to coexist.
Overwatch 2 has officially announced a handful of new game mode tests during Season 14 that will finally bring 6v6 to the sequel shooter for a limited time. These two game modes, plus a handful of 5v5 tests in Overwatch 2 Season 13, may set the stage for permanent 6v6 team compositions in the future.
On October 15, Overwatch 2 began Season 13, which introduced the limited-time Junkenstein’s Laboratory game mode, featuring customizable talents curated between each round. However, though Overwatch 2 had previously confirmed plans to test out 6v6 in the future, players hadn’t heard any concrete plans since its initial announcement.
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Now, that has officially changed. In a recent Director’s Take blog, game director Aaron Keller finally revealed plans for upcoming 6v6 tests in Overwatch 2 Season 14. These limited-time game modes will consist of two tests: the first is a “Min 1, Max 3” mode, and the second is a more traditional 2-2-2 role composition. The former lets fans flex their teams to have up to three characters of a single role, but with at least one tank, support, and damage hero. The latter keeps to the typical two players of each role, but with modern Overwatch 2 design philosophy. Both modes will use a special set of balance changes, including a reduction in the offensive and defensive capabilities of tanks.
Overwatch 2 Season 13 and 14 Game Mode Tests
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Season 13 – 5v5
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Limit 2 – Coming within a few weeks
- Each role is limited to two heroes.
- Tanks are tuned to Open Queue balance.
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Kingmaker – Between mid-November and early December
- Like Limit 2, but with a powerful buff for the hero in the solo role.
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Limit 2 – Coming within a few weeks
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Season 14 – 6v6
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Min 1, Max 3 – December 17
- Each role must have at least one hero, but can have up to three.
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2-2-2 – After the new year
- Classic 6v6 setup with Overwatch 2 design philosophy.
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Min 1, Max 3 – December 17
These aren’t the only tests coming to Overwatch 2 soon. During Season 13, Overwatch 2 is running a couple of new 5v5 tests to lead up to the 6v6 ones. The first is a Quick Play: Hacked called Limit 2, in which any role can have up to two players in it. The second, called “Kingmaker,” works like Limit 2 – but the role with only one hero will get a powerful bonus.
Blizzard hopes these tests will reshape Overwatch 2 into a game that better reflects what fans want from it. While he could not say if these game modes will ever become permanent, Keller did admit he could see a future where 5v5 and 6v6 exist in Overwatch 2 simultaneously.
Players won’t have to wait long to start experiencing these new game modes. Quick Play: Hacked Limit 2 is coming soon – possibly the week after Junkenstein’s Laboratory shuts down on November 5. Kingmaker is planned during the Season 13 midcycle, so likely in late November or early December. The first 6v6 test starts on December 17, a week after Season 14 begins, with the second one taking place after the new year. Keller also teased “another special surprise” just around the corner, which could be the major feature Overwatch 2 is hiring a product marketing consultant for.
Overwatch 2
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 77 /100 Critics Rec: 65%
WHERE TO PLAY
Overwatch 2 is an always-on and ever-evolving free-to-play, team-based action game set in an optimistic future, where every match is the ultimate 5v5 battlefield brawl. Power up your railgun and disrupt the battlefield as Sojourn, or yield your axe and command attention as Junker Queen. Battle to take control of a robot and move it toward the enemy base in the new Push Mode. Bring the fight to new destinations across the globe in iconic locations like New York, Rome, Monte Carlo and Rio. Daily challenges and frequent updates mean there is always something new to play.
