Overwatch trials a new 6v6 mode with a big healing buff

Blizzard has rolled out a new Overwatch test in its Quick Play: Hacked format, continuing an ongoing series of experiments with reintroducing the game's original 6v6 team format. The new patch notes are live now, with the weekend event's main focus on the 2-2-2 composition that defined the multiplayer shooter's earlier years, alongside matchmaking flexibility intended to reduce queue times.

The test builds on an experiment from two weeks earlier, which trialed a "flex queue" format that started every match with one tank, three damage players, and two healers, while allowing a single damage player to swap to tank mid-match. In the new version, 2-2-2 is the matchmaker's default target; if it cannot find enough tanks relative to the number of damage players queuing, it will instead create a 1-3-2 match. The mode replaces standard 5v5 role queue for the event's duration.

Blizzard is also making balance changes intended to test elements of 6v6 gameplay. The most significant is a reduction to the in-combat healing penalty, which normally cuts incoming healing by 30% for damage and support heroes - or 15% for tanks - after taking damage from an enemy in the last three seconds. During the test, that penalty is a flat 15% for every hero, making it easier for healers to keep damage-dealing allies topped up.

To offset the stronger healing, Blizzard has also adjusted several sub-role passives: Initiator heroes now gain less healing from using their movement ability (down from 50 to 40, with a slightly shorter cooldown), Flankers gain less bonus healing from health packs (down from 75 to 50), and Medics recover less of their outgoing healing as self-sustain (down from 40% to 30%). The movement speed buff for Bruiser heroes has also been reduced, from 20% to 15%.

Several tanks are also seeing their defensive cooldowns reduced, including Domina's Barrier Array, Ramattra's Void Barrier, Hazard's Jagged Wall, and Mauga's Overrun, while Doomfist's The Best Defense now applies a bigger shield. Separately, the role passive that reduces ultimate charge gained by damaging or healing an opponent has doubled, from 20% to 40%.

The Quick Play: Hacked 6v6 test, along with its balance changes, is running through Sunday, August 2, and the same changes are also being applied to Open Queue for the same period.