Overwatch 2 players call for return of classic 6v6 matches
Overwatch 2 made the drastic decision to switch from the classic 6v6 matches of the original to smaller lobbies of 5v5. Now, players are calling for the Overwatch they know and love to make a comeback.
When Overwatch 2 launched back in October, it came with a number of major changes from the original game that players had been enjoying for the previous six years. On top of the new Support, Kiriko, it also switched to a free-to-play Battle Pass model for the first time.
Arguably the biggest change, however, was to ditch one of the Tank roles to make matches into smaller 5v5 battles.
After a couple of months to adapt to the new format, Overwatch 2 players are now calling for the classic 6v6 matches to return in one form or another.
Reddit user ‘greatrater’ kicked off the debate on the Overwatch subreddit, claiming that the game was “more fun” when there were two of each role per match. Many fellow players responded, with the main issue being that 5v5 places too much pressure on the solo Tank.
“I honestly miss having that side Tank be able to peel off and help with things while I dealt with the front,” said ‘thyskullman.’ “I was always the off-Tank player. Now I feel like I’m pressured to play main tank roles I’m not comfortable in. I miss supporting Rein as Zarya,” agreed ‘cleaver253.’
Others also felt that limiting games to a single Tank means there is less room for experimentation, as players will automatically head toward the meta characters to stop teams from dominating them.
“It sucks having to play the meta characters all the damn time,” said another reply. “I love trying out new characters but when I try playing someone like Junker Queen or Hammond I just get outplayed because there are not enough people willing to choose a non-meta Tank.”
While there were also many Overwatch 2 players who preferred the smaller 5v5 matches, the best compromise seemed to be the idea of adding a separate queue for those who would rather play in old-school Overwatch lobbies.
Much like how Fortnite eventually offered a No Build mode to cater to that portion of the community, providing a 6v6 option would allow the community to switch between the two depending on their preferences.
Of course, the main risk here would be splitting the two-player bases and potentially increasing matchmaking times for both playlists.
We’ll have to wait and see if Blizzard hears the calls from the community and adds a separate 6v6 mode in Overwatch 2 Season 3, or later down the line.
For more on Overwatch 2, be sure to check out the most popular Hero in the game right now, as well as how to join Voice Chat.
Image credit: Blizzard Entertainment