Blizzard Eyes Competition But Welcomes the Challenge

Marvel Rivals, since its unveiling, has drawn inevitable comparisons to Overwatch. Superficially, the similarities are striking: both are competitive multiplayer hero shooters, with Marvel Rivals utilizing Marvel characters where Overwatch employs its own roster. Shared mechanics and gameplay systems further reinforce this resemblance. Both are free-to-play, live-service titles relying on new character additions to maintain player engagement.

Marvel Rivals' explosive popularity since its December launch has fueled speculation about a corresponding decline in Overwatch 2's player base. The prevailing narrative suggests NetEase's Marvel Rivals is actively drawing players away from Blizzard's title.

In a recent GamesRadar interview, Overwatch 2 director Aaron Keller addressed this new competitive landscape, acknowledging the unprecedented challenge posed by a game so similar to their own.

Overwatch 2's Response

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Keller described the situation as "exciting," even praising Marvel Rivals for taking established Overwatch concepts in "a different direction." However, he also conceded that Marvel Rivals' success has compelled Blizzard to adopt a more aggressive approach to Overwatch 2, stating, "this is no longer about playing it safe."

Consequently, Blizzard announced significant changes slated for Overwatch 2 in 2025. While the roadmap includes expected new content, core gameplay will undergo a substantial overhaul, featuring hero perks and the return of loot boxes.

The success of these changes in revitalizing Overwatch 2 remains to be seen. Nearly nine years after the original Overwatch's debut and two and a half years since Overwatch 2's launch, Blizzard doesn't publicly release player numbers. However, Steam concurrent player counts reveal the lowest numbers since its 2023 launch on the platform, peaking at 37,046 in the last 24 hours.

In contrast, Marvel Rivals maintains its position as a top 10 Steam game, boasting a 24-hour concurrent player peak of 310,287.

Marvel Rivals Tier List: Best Heroes

Overwatch 2's Steam user reviews remain "mostly negative," reaching the dubious distinction of being Steam's worst-reviewed game in August 2023. Criticism largely centers on monetization practices following the controversial transition from a premium model to a free-to-play sequel, rendering the original Overwatch unplayable. Further controversies, including the cancellation of the anticipated PvE Hero mode, further fueled negative player sentiment.

IGN offers further coverage of Marvel Rivals, including developer commentary on datamining and the potential for a Nintendo Switch 2 release.