The Overwatch pros don’t seem convinced about Overwatch 2’s 5v5 matches, according to a recent playtest. It’s not even a matter of it reducing the number of pros that will be able to be fielded in the upcoming Overwatch League either. We’ve had five years of 6v6, and making this immediate shift to 5v5 has quite a few people feeling upset. Not everyone is mad about it, but the Overwatch pros recently did an Overwatch 2 playtest. This took place during the Overwatch League 2021 Grand Finals in a halftime show. The opinions felt pretty mixed, but it’s far too late to stop this train now.

There were some positives or comments that could be construed as positive. Some of the players pointed out that it felt “new”, having a new pace thanks to the 5v5 changes. It is going to feel weird not having double tanks to block shots if this writer is honest. GOAT Comp wasn’t that bad – as unpopular an opinion as that is. Los Angeles Gladiators’ Indy “SPACE” Halpern compared it to Call of Duty:

“It felt like Call of Duty. The whole game is gonna be reworked, everything is gonna be new. The pace of the game is gonna change a lot.”

Kim “skewed” Min-Seok, one of his teammates also said it felt like a whole new game. So, not every pro hated it. The Overwatch 2 playtest left some of the Overwatch pros happy, and others felt trepidation. For example, while skewed said it felt new, he said, “It was fun at first, but the more I played, the bigger the empty space for one Tank,” which is an unfortunate thing to hear. 

He didn’t think the game felt as enjoyable, lacking the two tanks to take damage or distract enemies. Those tanks control the tempo of team fights, and only having one just wasn’t as good. He went on to say that, “I’ve been playing 6v6 for several years, so doing 5v5 right now will of course only see the downsides. It’s hard to find as much fun as 6v6 right now.”

We have no idea when players or pros alike will get an Overwatch 2 playtest of their own, but not all the Overwatch pros are convinced. We do know that the Overwatch League will be played in Overwatch 2 and that it could be showing up for retail in Q2 2022. It’s important to note that these pros have only played one map, so these opinions could change as time goes on. The other maps could feel better, or they could just adjust to the changes. We’ll keep an eye on Overwatch 2 as it continues to be developed. We do know that Sombra and Baptiste have been reworked, so more changes are on the way.