Overwatch 2 Update Brings Back 6v6 Mode, Adds Avatar: The Last Airbender Skins

Continuing their long-running tradition of major updates in the month of December, the Overwatch 2 team at Blizzard recently released another sizable addition to the first-person shooter. The series of updates started with Overwatch 2’s Season 14 on December 10, which included the release of the new hero Hazard and new unlockable skins. However, on December 17, the much-anticipated “Avatar: The Last Airbender” collaboration premiered, with several new skins based on characters from the Nickelodeon show. If that wasn’t enough, an experimental 6v6 mode featuring a 2-2-2 role queue system also released the same day.

While Overwatch initially launched in 2016 with a heavy focus on 6v6 competitive FPS gameplay, the switch to Overwatch 2 in 2023 saw Blizzard shifting their focus to a 5v5 format. By popular demand, Blizzard has been experimenting with ways to bring back 6v6 mode with a new Overwatch: Classic mode in November and this latest new game mode in December. The latest experiment adds a 2-2-2 role-queue system to the 6v6 gameplay, meaning that players must create a team with two tank heroes, two support heroes, and two damage heroes. Like the first return of 6v6, this limited experiment will run from December 17 to January 6. Heroes have also received a series of balancing changes to better adapt their abilities for the 6v6 format.

Following its collaborations with “Cowboy Bebop” and “My Hero Academia,” Overwatch 2 is also receiving a crossover with the popular Nickelodeon television show “Avatar: The Last Airbender.” The show follows a young airbender named Aang who must use his elemental powers to defeat the oppressive firebending regime. Several characters received new skins that match Overwatch 2 characters with “Avatar: The Last Airbender” characters. Zenyatta received an Aang skin, Mei received a Katara skin, Orisa received an Appa skin, Venture received a Toph skin, Genji received a Zuko skin, and Kiriko received a Suki skin.

December 17 also marked the beginning of Overwatch 2’s yearly Winter Wonderland event. Several limited-time game modes have returned, including Mei’s Yeti Hunt, Freeze Flash Elimination, and Mei’s Snowball Offensive. There are also new Winter Wonderland challenges that allow players to earn new sprays, skins, and name cards. The new skins included are the Merry Marionette Echo skin as well as a legendary skin for both Cassidy and Widowmaker.

With all of these changes, Overwatch 2’s Season 14 launch also brought a series of patch notes with buffs and debuffs for certain heroes. The new hero Hazard received a power buff, along with Winston, Ramratta, Sojourn, Soldier: 76, Orisa, Ashe, Baptiste, Lucio, Illari, Symmetra, and Torbjorn. Meanwhile, Doomfist, Pharah, Mauga, and Brigitte received slight debuffs.

For players of Blizzard’s first-person shooter, there is plenty of new content to explore in this seasonal update. Even as the year comes to a close, Overwatch 2 is expected to continue receiving large-scale updates with its yearly Lunar New Year event on the horizon. With competitors like Marvel Rivals starting to pick up steam, Blizzard’s continued efforts with new characters, new skins, and continued seasonal events are a sign that support for Overwatch 2 isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.