The provided sequence is: 2, 6, 12, 20, 30, ?
The pattern observed is as follows:
\[
2 \quad (2 + 4) = 6 \quad (6 + 6) = 12 \quad (12 + 8) = 20 \quad (20 + 10) = 30
\]
The differences between consecutive terms are increasing by 2: 4, 6, 8, 10. Therefore, the next difference should be 12.
The next term in the sequence is calculated as:
\[
30 + 12 = 42
\]
Answer: \(42\)