Overwatch 2 shows signs of life with Season 15

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Recently, there’s been an intriguing change of pace between two popular hero shooter games: Marvel Rivals has largely overtaken Overwatch 2 as the leading game in its category on the market. However, both games have seen significant changes over the past day that seem to have impacted their player counts on Steam. It’s worth noting that numerous elements could be influencing this shift, and future developments in the coming days and weeks might alter the current situation.

Overwatch 2 Steam player count hits an upswing with the launch of Season 15

A crucial point to bear in mind when evaluating these two games is that Steam statistics serve as our primary means of comparison. While both games are available for free on Steam, they likely boast substantial player bases across consoles too, with Overwatch additionally having a sizable audience on Blizzard’s game platform, Battle.net. This data might not tell the complete story, but it does provide a glimpse into the broader picture.

Yesterday, it was announced that a small team in Seattle, who had assisted NetEase’s larger Marvel Rivals team in China with launching the game last December, would be let go. As the news spread and before NetEase could respond, many players vented their dissatisfaction on social media, as they were surprised to hear that a popular game like Marvel Rivals was still letting developers go. Since its release, Marvel Rivals has consistently been among Steam’s most played games, and it ranks similarly on consoles. On Steam, the average number of concurrent players over the past few months typically ranges from 300,000 to 400,000. Although the overall player count has shown a gradual decrease, this doesn’t seem to have affected the number of active players.

Yesterday marked the release of Season 15 for Overwatch 2, a significant milestone with one of the game’s biggest changes yet. Players now have access to a “perk” system that allows each hero to adapt within matches, enhancing their abilities based on the team’s needs as the game progresses. Additionally, loot boxes have made their return, a feature that, despite its controversial past, seems to be well-received once again. With all these new features generating excitement, Overwatch 2 saw a 24-hour peak player count on Steam not seen in nearly six months, albeit still lower than Marvel Rivals with just under 60 thousand players.

However, following an interview in which the game director of Overwatch 2 expressed excitement and pressure about the Marvel Rivals competition, it suggests that the game might be gaining success. If we observe a similar increase in players across all platforms instead of just Steam, it could indicate a significant boost for the Overwatch 2 team.

Instead, let me rephrase this for you: This upcoming Friday will see the release of a significant mid-season update for the game Marvel Rivals, which introduces two fresh characters and a brand new map. Given that the game had its highest concurrent players on Steam shortly following the launch of the first season, this update could prove to be another pivotal moment. It’s likely that the relatively small number of players aware of the recent layoffs controversy won’t significantly affect the player count for Marvel Rivals, at least in the immediate future.

It appears that Marvel Rivals has dominated Overwatch 2 for a while now, making the recent signs of activity from the former quite intriguing. We’ll have to wait and see if Overwatch 2 can regain its footing or at least hold its ground against the rising star of Marvel Rivals. If the upcoming perks and loot boxes resonate with fans, it might draw some players back. The anticipated changes for Season 16 this spring could be the initial steps to help Overwatch 2 reclaim its position. At the very least, it’s captivating to observe how both games will navigate competition in the upcoming months.

It’s worth noting that the rise of player counts on Steam for Overwatch doesn’t necessarily indicate a clear trend yet. I’ve been casually observing some intriguing player numbers while keeping in mind their broader context. For quite a while, Overwatch didn’t have a serious competitor, so it’s fascinating to observe how the game and its team respond to their first significant competition since 2016.

Last summer, I tried Marvel Rivals but wasn’t particularly impressed. However, it’s been over a year since I last played Overwatch. Recently, the introduction of new features in Overwatch 2 has piqued my interest and made me consider returning to the game. We’ll see if this sentiment becomes more widespread in the coming weeks or if Overwatch continues to be overshadowed by Marvel Rivals.

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2025-02-19 23:02