Has provided an update that will be music to the ears of many. Fans of the game are expected to experiment with a variety of team compositions beyond what the game currently has. This includes a possible revival of the six-player teams from the original game. Supervision.
“The community has suggested, only once or twice, a test.” Supervision 2 Game director Aaron Keller wrote in a blog post: “Why not include multiple forms of 6v6 in the game to evaluate the results? We agree, and based on your feedback, we're exploring how we can test different forms of 6v6 in the game to evaluate the results.”
Keller is quick to point out that it may be some time before the team does a 6-on-6 test. Supervision 2 It was designed from the ground up for five-player teams, with hero balancing and map layouts (and redesigns) taking into account the reduction in damage mitigation from having one less tank on each side.
There are technical considerations here as well, as features like visual upgrades, more technically demanding hero kits, and the ability to see the outlines of allies through walls all play a role. Supervision 2'Therefore, switching from 10-player rooms to 12-player rooms could have a negative impact on performance, especially on older or less powerful systems.
“Supervision “It's a fast-paced game and maintaining a smooth-running game across all of our platforms is important to the player experience,” Keller wrote. “While a limited-time test could come sooner, the team is still investigating exactly how long it would take to permanently increase performance across the game. This would be a massive effort that would likely take at least multiple seasons to accomplish.”
![Shadow in Overwatch 2](https://technicalterrence.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Overwatch-2-could-test-the-return-of-six-player-teams.jpeg)
The possibility of longer wait times is also a concern if 6v6 tryouts are a success and the format is maintained in any form long-term. but it's worth taking the time to check it out if you're interested in how we ended up in 5v5 with players locked into specific roles in the main modes. One of the reasons Blizzard removed a tank from each team with the The problem is that it was the least popular of the three roles, with damage first and support in the middle. Having one less tank has helped reduce queue times across the board.
Keller notes that his team has some ideas for how to address potentially longer queue times if 6v6 returns for a long time, but it wasn’t an issue that’s been solved in the past and it’s not certain that new strategies would work. “Is there a world where people are willing to live with long queue times to play this format? Maybe, but it’s a pretty risky decision,” Keller wrote. “We also have tens of millions of new players who have only ever played 5v5. We want to be very conscious of not frustrating those who like the game as it is today.”
There are other reasons Blizzard switched to a 5v5 format, including that it wasn't necessarily fun to play against a team that used two shield-based tanks. Chokepoints could feel oppressive with two tanks blocking the way. Dropping one of those and putting more emphasis on things like flanking, individual hitting, and a little thing called first-person shooting (with more opportunities to shoot at opponents rather than barriers) was designed to make the game more fluid and fun. Teamfights with multiple tanks on each side were also often a war of attrition until ultimates became available, especially during .
Still, many fans spent years playing the game in groups of six, and having to lose one of them with the shift to 5v5 was a pain for many people. Plus, the synergy of two tanks could lead to some really fun moments: It was always one of my favorites. Since Blizzard always prided itself on taking player feedback into account and encouraging the concept of building Supervision 2 Along with the fans, it's great to see that the team is willing to at least test out how 6v6 could work in the modern landscape.
However, 6v6 isn't the only alternative approach to current team compositions that Blizzard plans to try. “In addition to running experiments with 6v6, we'd like to run some that reexamine the ways we've tried to solve previous problems, specifically with the goal of giving some freedom back to a team.” Supervision “It's possible that a team could play a match without the severity of the issues that come with it,” Keller wrote. “For example, we think there could be other ways to build a team that aren't as rigid as a fixed composition, but not as flexible as open queue.” Blizzard will test at least one version of this idea in an experimental quick match mode during Season 13, taking place this fall.
Any permanent changes to the current format, whether or not that means returning to the 6v6 format, won't happen overnight. Blizzard would hold 6v6 tests for a few weeks to gauge player feedback and then see how that format impacts the game beyond the core gameplay, such as in arcade modes.
“We will use the lessons from this playtest to see what we can learn about the mode within the current gaming ecosystem and for the future of Supervision“Keller wrote. “We'll carefully reflect on the learnings from any testing we do and explore how to best give players what they're asking for. Whether that's a 5v5, 6v6, or even both world, that's something we need to determine in the future.”