Blizzard is completely lost with Overwatch 2

When Blizzard Entertainment replaced Overwatch par Overwatch 2he made a revolutionary change: the transition from 6v6 matches to 5v5 (with one less tank role). This evolution continues to be debated today, and opinions are very divided on the issue. This is evidenced by this poll carried out by Jake, a professional player and caster, specialist in the saga. Posted on March 31, 2024 on Twitter and having collected more than 30,000 responses, it shows a slight preference for 5vs5 (at 51.9%).

This almost 50/50 statistic proves that 5v5 is far from unanimous, and that many Overwatch fans continue to miss the games of before. This is probably why Blizzard Entertainment has splita long blog post on July 25th to take stock of the situation. We read that the company is considering bringing back the 6vs6 format in Overwatch 2which still seems like an admission of failure and a questioning of the disappearance ofOverwatch.

Overwatch 2 should have never existed

This is Aaron Keller, the director ofOverwatch 2who took out his finest pen to write us a tome on the history of the decisions taken to advance the hero shooter in the right direction. In his eyes, the main argument for moving to 5v5 is the dynamics of the games, ” 6v6 games could go very, very high… but also very, very low. One of the goals of 5v5’s design was to increase this threshold, even if it came at the expense of more memorable moments. »

There were also technical issues: getting twelve players on a map costs more resources than just ten. Not to mention the visibility on the screen and the length of queues to join a game. In 5v5, participants wait much less, which Aaron Keller proves with a graph.

The wait is also due to the fact that a team must be composed of specific roles (two damage, two support, one tank). When an additional tank was needed, a less popular class, the delay could be longer. This new structure was of course associated with roles to be redefined, as well as balancing concerns.

In short, the move to 5v5 seemed obvious to Blizzard Entertainment. Except that it received feedback claiming that the games were a little too similar. This issue is attributed to 5vs5, but we believe there is much more at play “, the company believes. This is why several tests could be conducted in the coming weeks to revive interest aroundOverwatch 2starting with 6v6 matches (depending on technical constraints).

This possibility may seem surprising. In reality, it is nothing more or less than another oddity to be put to the credit of Blizzard Entertainment. Not everything has been all rosy since the launch ofOverwatch 2which should have revolutionized the formula of the first opus with 5vs5 and a real solo mode. The latter was completely abandoned, which raises big questions about the very existence ofOverwatch 2whileOverwatch could have continued to live and evolve. If 6v6 ever becomes the preferred format again, then Blizzard Entertainment will have been wrong on all counts.

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