We don’t know about you, but quite a few Overwatch 2 fans feel that Blizzard’s FPS has something of a Tank problem since the switch from a 6v6 format to a 5v5 format – something that removed a Tank-role pick to leave the shooter with a forced team composition of two Damage heroes, two Support heroes, and one Tank hero. How could Blizzard fix that Overwatch 2 Tank problem? Well, a return to the series’ six-versus-six format could actually be the answer.
Now, we know what you’re thinking, and we agree with you: this all really does sound too ironic to be true, right? Well, yes – but, actually no. In a discussion kicked-off by ‘8AEM‘ on the Overwatch subreddit, a faction of fans has made a rather convincing case for reverting back to a 6v6 format – something we agree with – that puts the onus on Overwatch’s initial Tank problem with “double shields” and not “double Tanks”.
From the myriad of comments made on the aforementioned thread, the main issues with Overwatch 2’s 5v5 format that could be solved with a return to the 6v6 format are these: there’s too much pressure on Tank players to perform and they’re far too influential when it comes to match results, there’s not enough options when it comes to viable options from Overwatch 2’s selection of Tank heroes, and – as expressed by one Mercy main – “the Tank always gets the blame”.
In Overwatch 2, as the player with the biggest health pool and almost always the only defensive abilities in your team, you have to be on the ball whichever Tank hero you’re choosing to play as. However, that doesn’t mean you can just play as whichever Tank hero you want to – not really. If you’re picking a Tank hero like Roadhog, DVa, or Wrecking Ball, you’re leaving your squishier teammates out to dry – especially if you’re in a game with an opposing Widowmaker or Hanzo.
So, as frustrating as it is, the Overwatch 2 meta forces you into playing a shield-based Tank hero quite a lot of the time. And, if you die in a team-fight as a Tank, you’re leaving all your lower-health teammates out to dry – and no one likes that.
In Overwatch, as explained by one player, “where one of your Tanks was terrible, the other could make up for it [on] the frontline or the peel” – meaning, we expect, that they could pull attention away from the Tank being hit the most to help them recover. Another has added that “you had an extra Tank to go… and constantly be in the backline” if coming up against a two-sniper strategy – something that’s still viable in Overwatch 2. Now, though, you’re left struggling if your Tank hero decides to chase your enemies’ backline.
Would a return to 6v6 actually solve this issue, though? Well, we think it might – but, we agree that Blizzard would need to make some changes. However, it’s hard to pin down exactly what those changes would consist of. We all know Overwatch had a problem with a double-shield meta when it came to two-Tank teams, so – perhaps – weakening shields or limiting a team composition to one shield-based Tank would be an answer.
One Overwatch 2 fan has suggested introducing a “segments” system for shields – something that could add an interesting dynamic to combat. This would force enemies to pick and choose where they want to target, and in theory it sounds like it could solve some of the problems in question.
However, it’s hard to say whether, in practice, it would work. All we know is this: Overwatch 2 has a Tank problem, and we don’t think taking one Tank away from the situation was the solution. So, why not throw one back in and reevaluate things, right?
Well, wether you agree or not, Overwatch 2 still has the potential to become one of the best competitive FPS games out there – it just needs a bit of help. Saying that, Overwatch 2’s first ever community map Talantis sinks upon launch. So, we’re not saying Blizzard should take everything they say onboard. Just, some of it.