From its unveiling, Marvel Rivals drew immediate comparisons to Overwatch. Superficially, the similarities are striking: both are competitive multiplayer hero shooters, with Marvel Rivals utilizing Marvel characters in a gameplay experience echoing Overwatch's mechanics. Both are free-to-play, live-service titles that rely on new character additions to maintain player engagement.
Since its December launch, Marvel Rivals has exploded in popularity, fueling speculation that Overwatch 2 is losing players to its competitor. This new competitive landscape is a significant challenge for Blizzard.
In a recent GamesRadar interview, Overwatch 2 director Aaron Keller acknowledged this new reality, stating that the presence of such a similar game is unprecedented for Overwatch. Interestingly, Keller described the situation as “exciting” and praised Marvel Rivals for taking established ideas in “a different direction.”
However, Keller also admitted that Marvel Rivals' success has prompted a shift in Blizzard's approach to Overwatch 2: "this is no longer about playing it safe."
Consequently, Blizzard announced sweeping changes for Overwatch 2 in 2025. While the roadmap includes expected new content, the core gameplay will undergo a major overhaul, introducing 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 after Overwatch 2's launch, concurrent player numbers on Steam are at an all-time low since its 2023 release, peaking at 37,046 in the last 24 hours. In contrast, Marvel Rivals consistently ranks among Steam's top 10 most-played games, recently reaching a 24-hour peak of 310,287 concurrent players.
Marvel Rivals Tier List: Best Heroes
Marvel Rivals Tier List: Best Heroes
Overwatch 2 currently holds a "mostly negative" user review rating on Steam, having even briefly held the title of worst-reviewed game on the platform in August 2023. Much of the negative feedback 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 highly anticipated PvE Hero mode, have also fueled player dissatisfaction.
IGN offers further coverage of Marvel Rivals, including developer insights on datamining and the potential for a Nintendo Switch 2 version.
