The Overwatch 2 6v6 debate is back, and Blizzard has weighed in

Overwatch 2’s move to 5v5 was huge. We lost a tank, sure, but we gained simpler games and much cleaner play. Suddenly every match was easier to follow, and the tank’s role became that much more important. Players were massively concerned by the loss at the time though, and with Blizzard promising some big changes to tanks in the near future, debates around 6v6 have come back – and the development team has noticed.

Talk of 6v6 comes as Keller’s most recent director’s take targets tanks. Blizzard is making changes to the role because they’ve become less “tanky” over recent seasons, unable to soak up as much damage as they should. Passive health regeneration, knockback, and a fall in headshot damage were all supposed to improve the balance in Overwatch 2, but have made tanks less and less viable as a side effect.

“My last post spurred a lot of talk around 6v6,” Keller writes of the multiplayer game. “We recognize that this is an important topic for many people (including us!) and would like to jump into the conversation to share our POV. Look for more on this in the next Director’s Take, or possibly Dev Update.”

Keller’s statement doesn’t mean Blizzard will suddenly announce the return of 6v6 and two-tank teams, mind you. In fact, Keller sounds like he’s gearing up to dive further into why Overwatch 2 went for 5v5 in the first place.

Back in 2021, Keller said the 5v5 change was to help “make our combat easy to read” with the tank count being trimmed back because they can be “noisy.” Taking out an entire role in team play was controversial at the time, but Blizzard wanted to make the games of Overwatch 2 less busy, and this was easily achieved.

Since then other changes to Overwatch 2 have stacked against tanks, though, which is why Blizzard is looking at revamping them. I don’t expect Keller to promise a 6v6 mode in the near future, as a complete rebalance to tanks and supports would need to take place. That said, expect to learn even more about Blizzard’s thoughts on 6v6 soon.

Get a leg up in the hero shooter with our Overwatch 2 tier list, alongside a breakdown of the best Overwatch 2 settings for your rig – after all, every little helps.

You can also follow us on Google News for daily PC games news, reviews, and guides, or grab our PCGN deals tracker to net yourself some bargains.