I Interviewed The Overwatch Team About The Future Of 6v6

Summary

Flats and Emongg interview Overwatch game director Aaron Keller and associate game director Alec Dawson about the future of 6v6, its upcoming test, and wider game changes.

6v6 Test and Queue Times

• The planned test will run 5v5 Role Queue, 6v6 Open Queue, and 6v6 Role Queue at the same time. The developers want to see how players divide among the modes and hope the alternatives will give players options if 6v6 Role Queue queues become too long.
• The team sees the test as one step in an ongoing effort, not a final verdict on whether 6v6 belongs in Overwatch. More balance work and experiments may follow.
• Queue times are a central concern, especially the shortage of tank players. The developers are considering matchmaking improvements and ways to make it easier to move between queues. One idea discussed was offering players an optional match in another mode rather than switching them automatically.
• The interviewers noted that long waits can encourage players to use alternate accounts, and that short matches can make long queues especially frustrating.

6v6 Balance and Gameplay

• The upcoming 6v6 balance pass is expected to affect many heroes. Broadly, the team plans to lower health values and some damage, reduce the effectiveness of certain tank cooldowns, and make fights more punishing when players take bad positions.
• Some tank cooldowns may be less powerful but available more often. The developers also plan to make mode-specific perk adjustments where needed—for example, reducing Wrecking Ball’s Steamroller perk in 6v6.
• The in-combat healing reduction passive will remain for the test, but its effect will be reduced. Other role passives and sub-role rules are still under review.
• The developers expect 6v6 to feel unfamiliar to some returning players, even with relatively small numerical changes. Players may need to adjust their positioning and coordinate more closely with teammates.
• Roadhog is slated for a specific 6v6 nerf. The team also plans to publish 6v6 win rates so players can compare hero performance across modes.
• Wrecking Ball’s movement change will not be reverted for now. The team says it is reviewing mobility across the game to address abilities that can let heroes escape too easily, and acknowledged that the change was communicated poorly.
• The developers discussed how some tanks, such as Mauga, can feel very different between 5v5 and 6v6. Their current preference is to preserve heroes’ basic functions and tune numbers where possible, while leaving open the possibility of more substantial ability changes later.

Perks, Heroes, and Reworks

• The team wants to review perks that are either overpowered or underwhelming. It is also considering a way to reset perk choices, while aiming to prevent players from repeatedly switching perks to gain an advantage.
• Lifeweaver’s rework is paused for now; Roadhog and Sombra reworks are further along. Mauga is also a hero the team has discussed revisiting.
• A future hero was described as a male DPS whose design shifted away from the original Support plan during development. The developers said he scored especially well in player testing. Juno was also noted as a popular, approachable hero.

Other Topics and Teasers

• The team tried 7v7 briefly early in development, but it felt overwhelming. Making it work now would also require significant technical effort.
• Aaron Keller teased that Season 6 begins a story prologue, with a major cinematic planned for Spotlight or around that time. Alec Dawson also mentioned renewed attention to social features and progression.

Featured Gamers and Sources

• Interviewers: Flats and Emongg
• Overwatch developers: Aaron Keller and Alec Dawson
• Other named references: Megan, Gavin, Cavalry, Spyro, and Aspen were mentioned during the discussion.