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Overwatch doesn’t have ‘any intention’ of making 6-vs-6 the main mode, but it’s now ‘a second among equals’
Overwatch will continue supporting both five-versus-five and six-versus-six, with game director Aaron Keller saying the studio now sees six-versus-six as “a second among equals”. The approach reflects divided player preferences and means neither format is expected to replace the other as the main mode.
The team plans to add a six-versus-six Role Queue while keeping existing options, including Open Queue, to learn whether players prefer the larger teams, flexible roles or both. Keller said six-versus-six will receive more balance work, while matchmaking changes planned for season six are expected to help manage queue times; adding another queue could still affect waiting times.
In short
- Overwatch will support both five-versus-five and six-versus-six.
- A six-versus-six Role Queue is planned.
- Player data will guide future balance and format decisions.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Keeping both formats respects the fact that players value different things: five-versus-five offers a more focused match, while six-versus-six restores a team size some players prefer. A dedicated Role Queue and further balance work let the studio learn from player choices while improving six-versus-six, without taking away the established mode.
The case against
Supporting another format and adding a Role Queue could divide the player pool, lengthen waits and make it harder to keep both modes well balanced. If resources and matchmaking attention are spread across several queues, players may see less consistent matches or slower improvements; some may therefore favour a clearer focus on one main format.