Team Deathmatch Puts Two Submarine Crews Against Each Other

Your opponent in S.O.N.A.R. Team Deathmatch is another submarine crew, so handling your own boat matters alongside attacking theirs. This S.O.N.A.R. Team Deathmatch guide starts with the full-release format: 6v6 battles, up to twelve players across two submarines, and eight maps. Build your crew plan around that current format rather than the smaller teams described in older previews.

The official S.O.N.A.R. launch announcement confirms the 6v6 mode and eight-map lineup. It does not provide individual map layouts or a detailed scoring rulebook.

Use the Current Crew Size

On October 22, the developer announced an increase to six players per submarine and an expansion of Team Deathmatch to 6v6. That change explains why you may encounter older descriptions of four-person crews.

The full game launched on October 29 with the larger format. Up to twelve players means the combined capacity of both submarines, not twelve people managing one boat.

Co-op campaign and Open World Survival also support crews of one to six, but those are different modes. For Team Deathmatch, expect submarine-versus-submarine competition rather than the campaign's mission objectives or survival's port-and-upgrade progression.

Divide Responsibilities Before the Fighting Starts

The publisher describes nine critical operating stations, including navigation, diving, sonar, periscope operations, engineering, and damage control. With six crew members, those responsibilities still need coordination.

Before a match, agree on who will handle the main jobs:

  • Movement: keep navigation and depth decisions coordinated.
  • Contacts: communicate what the sonar and periscope operators identify.
  • Weapons: coordinate attacks with the people tracking the opposing submarine.
  • Damage control: make sure someone can respond when the boat catches fire or takes on water.

This is a suggested division of work based on the game's stated systems, not a mandatory class setup. Decide who can cover another station when your crew needs help elsewhere.

Make Communication Useful Under Pressure

The official material emphasizes proximity voice chat for operating the submarine and responding to emergencies. Use it to communicate a clear task or observation instead of assuming everyone has seen the same instrument.

For example, a useful crew call identifies the problem and the person responding: a contact needs attention, a course change is planned, or someone is handling a leak. Agreeing on those habits before combat can make your team's work easier to follow.

Avoid relying on an unverified map trick or a supposed universal loadout to replace those fundamentals. The supplied official announcements establish the mode, crew limit, and map count, but do not document respawn rules, match timers, point values, or a best weapon choice for every engagement.

FAQ

How many people can play S.O.N.A.R. Team Deathmatch?

The full-release format is 6v6, with up to twelve players split between two submarines.

Is Team Deathmatch still 4v4?

No. The developer announced the expansion to 6v6 on October 22, and the launch announcement confirms the larger format.

How many PvP maps are there?

The October 29 launch announcement lists eight maps for submarine-versus-submarine Team Deathmatch.

Does each player get a separate submarine?

The described format places two crews across two submarines. Players cooperate on their own submarine's stations while competing with the other crew.