Overwatch director: late response to 5v5 debates 'cost us trust'

The single most controversial change in Overwatch 2 (now Overwatch) was its shift to having five players on each team instead of six. Dropping one player dramatically changed the way the hero shooter worked, driving off many players who fell in love with the 6v6 format in the original game.

"This was one of the most, if not the most, controversial gameplay decisions in Overwatch's history," game director Aaron Keller said during a panel at this year's Game Developers Conference. The 6v6 tests showed that a lot of players wanted the format back, so Blizzard released a mode that remains the second most popular mode in Overwatch today.

However, Keller said the amount of people playing it still had a sharp drop-off like most other modes in the game.

overwatch, overwatch 2, 5v5, 6v6, aaron keller, blizzard, gdc, hero shooter, gameplay decision, player drop-off