Overwatch Season 6 Will Trial 6v6 Role Queue for Four Weeks
On day one of Season 6, Competitive will offer standard 5v5, Open Queue 6v6, and a four-week 6v6 Role Queue mini season locked to 2-2-2. Game director Aaron Keller explains how it differs from Open Queue and why queue times are the main risk.
Overwatch Season 6 Competitive will open with more than one way to play. A four-week 6v6 Role Queue Competitive mini season will launch on day one, alongside standard 5v5 and Open Queue 6v6, in game director Aaron Keller's Director's Take.
When does the test start, and how long does it last?
Blizzard hasn't announced a Season 6 start date yet. The 6v6 Role Queue mini season starts on day one and runs for the first four weeks. What happens to it after that hasn't been announced.
What can you queue on day one?
Competitive will offer three options when Season 6 begins:
- Standard 5v5, which remains the main mode
- Open Queue 6v6, which stays in the menu
- A 6v6 Role Queue test, locked to a 2-2-2 composition: two Tanks, two Damage, and two Supports
Open Queue 6v6 has been in the game for nearly two years, after Blizzard changed Open Queue to 6v6. It is the second most-played Competitive mode in Season 5. That playlist also receives the dedicated 6v6 balance patch arriving with Season 6.
How is Role Queue different from Open Queue?
Open Queue 6v6 lets a six-player team queue without a role lock. You can bring whatever mix of Tanks, Damage, and Supports your group wants.
Role Queue 6v6 is the structured test, not a replacement for Open Queue. You queue for a role, and the match is built as 2-2-2. Blizzard wants to see whether enough players queue for it.
What about queue times?
Queue time is the reason this test is limited, and the reason it is an extra playlist instead of a swap. Blizzard previously held back on Role Queue 6v6 because it could increase queue times. Two tests earlier this year did not deliver. Community surveys were split, with 32% of players fully behind their preferred mode on each side of the 5v5 and 6v6 debate.
Adding Role Queue 6v6 may still affect queue times for that mode and for others. Adding the playlist, rather than replacing one, is the approach Blizzard is taking, and Season 6 matchmaking changes are meant to keep queues more manageable. The team will monitor the results.
Where 6v6 stands
Blizzard does not intend to make 6v6 the main mode. It is "second among equals," with 5v5 remaining the primary Competitive format.
Read the full Director's Take on the official Overwatch news site.