Overview
- Team 4, which announced the plan Tuesday, will launch a 6v6 Role Queue test in Competitive when Season 6 begins on December 8, 2026.
- The test will run as a four-week 2-2-2 Role Queue mini‑season and will sit alongside the existing 5v5 Role Queue and 6v6 Open Queue so no modes are being removed.
- Developers warned the extra queue could lengthen wait times and said matchmaking adjustments shipping with Season 6 are being tested to try to keep queue times manageable.
- Aaron Keller framed 6v6 as “a second among equals,” saying the studio will monitor player choices and behavior to decide where to focus balance work rather than making 6v6 the default mode.
- The move responds to a long-running split in player preference—veterans favoring traditional six-player roles and others preferring the tighter 5v5 fights—and could change how quickly matches form, how balance patches are prioritized, and which mode receives long-term support.