Overwatch 2 is changing to a 5v5 game

Big changes are coming for Overwatch 2, starting with a substantial alteration to the hero shooter’s player-versus-player mode. For Overwatch 2, Blizzard will switch PvP from two teams of six — the current player count in Overwatch — to two teams of five. That’s right, the game that’s been a 6v6 battle for the past five years will change to 5v5.

Overwatch game director Aaron Keller announced the change during a livestream on Thursday. Keller announced that the new team composition for Overwatch 2 will consist of two damage heroes, two support heroes, and one tank. Keller explained that “tanks can be problematic” and “noisy.” He added that Blizzard has “always tried to make our combat easy to read and understandable — sometimes it’s just hard to track what 11 other players are doing on the battlefield.”

Keller noted that Overwatch PvP has changed drastically over the years, going from “no limits” hero selection to limiting players to just one instance of a hero per team. Blizzard has also tested multiple team compositions and sizes, and that they hope 5v5 will make Overwatch 2 easier to understand for players and viewers.

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