All rated battlegrounds to become 10v10s
by Adam Holisky 
Feb 4th 2011 at 12:17PM
Blizzard's full statement is as follows:
Blizzard EntertainmentWe're in the process of developing a hotfix to push before next Tuesday that will change all 15vs15 rated battleground weeks into 10vs10 weeks.
Looking at participation, the 10vs10 rated battleground weeks have been far and away more popular than the 15vs15 weeks. The difference in organizational requirements as well as battleground map popularity have been a couple big factors that have led to the 10vs10 weeks seeing a great deal more action. By making this change and supporting the popular option we hope to encourage even more players and teams to participate, as they won't have to wait out every other week, or struggle to beef up to 15 players to match the requirement.
We also have plans to adapt additional battleground maps in the future to work in the 10 player bracket to increase the variety of maps available.
Looking at participation, the 10vs10 rated battleground weeks have been far and away more popular than the 15vs15 weeks. The difference in organizational requirements as well as battleground map popularity have been a couple big factors that have led to the 10vs10 weeks seeing a great deal more action. By making this change and supporting the popular option we hope to encourage even more players and teams to participate, as they won't have to wait out every other week, or struggle to beef up to 15 players to match the requirement.
We also have plans to adapt additional battleground maps in the future to work in the 10 player bracket to increase the variety of maps available.
Filed under: News items, PvP
Reader Comments (Page 2 of 2)
Cheeselandman Feb 4th 2011 5:51PM
The failures of AV rest squarely on the playerbase, on blizzard. Blizzard can't make battlegrounds multi-hours long like raids, simply because people feel they have places to go.
AV used to be completely different. As did AB. With the honor token system though, especially towards the end of BC and beginning of wrath, people wondered *why* they wanted a multi-hour battleground.
shootkill Feb 4th 2011 12:49PM
I'm gonna miss AB and Eye a lot, I might miss Sota a little. At the same time I welcome this change. I help organize RBGs for a PVP guild and the 10/15 alternation was causing stress. PVE guilds can choose to be 10 or 25 man. RBG guilds could not choose 10 or 15, they had to do both. This meant benching a lot of people during 10 man week, which caused drama, and some gquits, and frantic recruiting to get quality bodies for the following week of 15's. A Cycle that will likely end with this change.
dirac Feb 4th 2011 1:28PM
I'm all for some 10v10 Alterac Valley. Where everyone gets lost and can't find anyone else, eventually corpse runs through hostile NPCs to arrive at Drek'thar's room and get killed and eaten by wolves.
RuzGofDI Feb 4th 2011 1:54PM
Not exactly thrilled by this news. More indifferent really.
Much to my frustration, my guild only ever seems to attempt the 10 weeks. On the 15s, there didn't seem to even be an attempt to get bodies together to see if we could field a team. Which resulted in needing to go to *blech* arenas for points on the off weeks. So a switch that sees us running rated BGs every week gets a thumbs up.
On the other hand, I'd rather have my nether regions run over by a fleet of bulldozers than deal with more CTF in my life.
Blizz, I don't know if you read this site, or the comments on the articles. But please. I'm begging here. When you create and/or modify BGs to fill out this new plan of yours, keep the ratio of CTF to other maps the same.
Astrolabe Feb 4th 2011 2:04PM
When I first heard about rated BGs I thought I would be able to queue like I do for normal BGs, with the matchmaking system and everything, but just get a rating at the end. I was disappointed to find that that was not the case.
Though I can see where some problems would arise, I still wish they would implement a queue for those of us who choose not to join a guild, or who don't have at least 9 other friends playing on the same realm.
noel mcleod Feb 4th 2011 3:25PM
I echo the above. I've never played a rated BG, wouldn't know hot to find one and pretty much personally hold all of the PvP achievements in my guild (because hardly anyone else PvPs ...). I don't want to leave the guild JUST for PvP, but wish I could find a way to play something rather than unrated. When this was first announced I was so looking forward to it, now I'm just disappointed.
Powell1819 Feb 4th 2011 5:28PM
What rated BG is this weekend? Hate to ask, but I can't log in now to check. Thanks!
Szass Feb 4th 2011 3:32PM
They could fix this issue easily.
1) Some people don't have 9 other PvP'rs to play with.
2) Some BG's do not lend themselves to small team action. Eg; Alterac Valley.
If Blizzard would make it so that 5 man squads could be pre-made and then shuffled in with other 5 man squads, both problems would be alleviated significantly.
1) You would only have to find 4 others to group with for rated BG's.
2) Any BG can be filled to the proper amount of players by groups of 5.
This wouldn't make everyone completely happy, no single que for example. But, it would be better in many ways than what they have going now.IMHO.
Voltron Feb 4th 2011 3:33PM
they prob should have waited till next season to do this
wow Feb 4th 2011 4:06PM
One wonders why they attempted this at all.
"Oh, I'm sorry, 5 of us are going to have to sit out because its a 10v10 week"
I would of thought they would of learnt from BC raiding, when raid groups had difficulty stepping up from 10 to 25 man raiding, only this would be on a week by week basis.
Bossy Feb 4th 2011 4:38PM
Rated Bg's and the return of the PvP titles.
One of the many - many - many things that Cataclysm couldn't deliver in a decent way for every player.
...
Branalia Feb 4th 2011 8:31PM
Such a terrible change. My guild runs a single rated BG group. On 15v15 days we have a waiting list of 2-3. On 10v10 days it's obviously 7-8 people long. People get screwed out of being able to play on the 10v10 weeks. Now every week is screw the people in blues week.
Darkdust Feb 5th 2011 12:31AM
Then all you need is to find two more folks and field a second team, right?
jimb073 Feb 5th 2011 3:51AM
Hmmm....okay, well if Blizzard can put in a Hotfix to change Rated BGs from 15v15 to 10v10, is there any chance they could also put in a hotfix for the Elementium Stormsheild to actually show up on my character!!!!!!!!!!...I've only been waiting for 3MONTHS!!!!!!!!!!!!..
GET A GRIP BLIZZ.....SLACKAS'
riot_sk Feb 5th 2011 5:53AM
'We also have plans to adapt additional battleground maps in the future to work in the 10 player bracket to increase the variety of maps available.'
i smell .. something old ... like ... Azshara crater .. yayks