Overwatch Season 6 Adds Four-Week 6v6 Role Queue Competitive Test

Overwatch is bringing back 6v6 Role Queue Competitive in Season 6, but only as a four-week test to start. Game director Aaron Keller said the mini season will launch on Day 1 of the new season, sitting alongside the standard 5v5 Competitive mode and the existing 6v6 Open Queue option.

The test will use a 2-2-2 Role Queue format, giving players the classic two tanks, two damage, and two support setup. Blizzard is also preparing a balance patch aimed specifically at 6v6, and those changes will apply to both the new Role Queue test and 6v6 Open Queue.

Keller said Open Queue 6v6 has been gaining players and is now the second most-played mode in Season 5. Blizzard is trying to figure out how much of that interest comes from the larger team size versus the freedom of Open Queue, which is why both 6v6 versions will run at the same time.

The studio is still wary of queue times, especially with another Competitive option in the mix. Keller said Season 6 will include matchmaking changes that Blizzard hopes will help keep waits manageable, though the team will be watching the numbers once the test goes live.

For now, Blizzard isn’t planning to move Overwatch’s main mode back to 6v6. Keller framed it more as a long-term supported alternative, with more dedicated balance work planned rather than treating 6v6 as a side experiment. Mystery Madness is also set to return in Season 1 2027 with a new theme and powers.

Season 6 will also introduce the game’s next Hero, with Blizzard planning to reveal the full “case file” during the OWCS Finals Broadcast.

Further reading: Official Overwatch: Director’s Take: 5v5 and 6v6, Better Together