Overwatch 2’s change to 5v5 team sizes was a big change, but game director Aaron Keller says Blizzard might go back to 6v6, based on player feedback.
One of the biggest changes Blizzard has made for Overwatch 2 to date was shifting the game’s team size, from six players versus six, to five players versus five. Changing to the 5v5 format was a radical and contentious decision, but Blizzard argued that it made matches more readable and less noisy, both for players and for spectators. Reducing the number of players per match from 12 to 10 also benefited queue times, shortening the wait to get into games.
But Blizzard is now reevaluating that decision in response to player feedback, game director Aaron Keller wrote in a Director’s Take blog on Thursday. 6v6 could return to Overwatch 2, Keller explained, but only after sufficient testing and experimentation.
Reverting to a 6v6 format wouldn’t be an easy decision, Keller said, and he spends a few thousand thoughtfully considered words explaining the various reasons why Blizzard chose to (and seems happy with) the 5v5 structure of Overwatch 2, and how it benefits players. Queue times are shorter, there are fewer shields to shoot through, and skirmishes are easy to follow. But Keller also acknowledges that not all players are happy with 5v5, and many want 6v6 back.
