Here to plead 5BLD's case-
5BLD is much more different to 4BLD than 7x7 is different to 6x6 and it shouldn't be removed. At a beginner level, they are pretty much the exact same and you just have to spend slightly longer doing 5BLD(if you know 4BLD then you probably have enough BLD experience that the extra memo in 5BLD isn't an issue). However, at a higher level 5BLD becomes much more interesting as you want to balance being fast with actually getting a success, as there are so many places you could make a mistake. In addition, 4BLD is easier to get very fast results in as in a high level you can just one-pass, it's not that much more memo. However, 5BLD is much more memo and it is extremely difficult to one-pass and get a very fast time. Just completing the event, 5BLD is almost exactly the same as 4BLD, but it is much harder to get fast results.
@NebraskanSpeedsolver is there something like this for why 6x6/7x7 should stay?
Otherwise they disappear in 24 hours
Definitely add FTO. It is by far the best candidate, there is so much hype around it rn.
Remove either 5bld or 7x7. Those skills are pretty easily transferable to other events, and it would help comps go a lot faster. Cubing careers aren't wasted.
I think a lot of people think 6x6 and 7x7 are basically the same thing, probably because they technically have the same methods, and most top solvers in 6x6 are also top solvers in 7x7 and vice versa. Additionally, from beginner to sub 3/4:30 on 6/7, they're really the same.
You'd be right if you guessed that there's something similar to 4bld/5bld where advanced techniques are the sole thing that differentiates them.
There's a lot more than just simple bars when you get sub 3:30. You must build 2x5s and 2x4s, and those differ a lot on 6x6 than on 7x7. on 6x6 it's a lot more free since there are no T center blocks you need, so you can always rotate a corner 2x2 to match another, but on 7x7 it's a lot more strict. Sometimes you can also effectively build 3x5 blocks on 7x7, while 3x4 blocks are basically completely unviable on 6x6. 6x6 middle 2x4s are different as well, also having a lot more chaos and freedom than on 7x7.
Also, on 7x7, the middle bar causes there to be a lot more bar prioritization than on 6x6. If you create a side 2x5 without its middle bar, you're basically just forced to build the middle bar next.
Edges are also a lot different as well. There's a huge difference in determining what is considered a good/lucky edge on 6x6 than on 7x7. It also seems from my solves that 7x7 edge skill don't even transfer to 6x6 edge skill. I've improved my 7x7 3x3+edges from 1:25 to around 1:15 in the past couple months, and sometimes i get 1:05s. I haven't practiced 6x6 much, and my 6x6 edges haven't improved. They went from 1:05 to 1:10. (also this is redux)
And once you get to practicing advanced lookahead, 7x7 is a lot harder than 6x6. It's like planning cross+1 instead of just cross. Seeing 7x7 edge pieces and just solving them into a single edge can be extremely difficult sometimes, especially when pieces are separated, but 6x6 feels like it has so few pieces it's always easy.
I average 1:50/2:36 on 6x6/7x7. They're very different events.
