Overwatch 2's Steam player count plummets following Marvel Rivals' successful launch. The impact of Marvel Rivals on Overwatch 2's player base is analyzed.
A Direct Comparison
The release of Marvel Rivals, a competing team-based shooter, coincided with a significant drop in Overwatch 2's Steam player count. Overwatch 2 reached an all-time low of approximately 17,000 concurrent players on Steam, a stark contrast to Marvel Rivals' impressive numbers, which peaked at over 480,000 concurrent players. Both games share similar free-to-play models and gameplay mechanics, leading to direct comparisons and competition. Negative Steam reviews for Overwatch 2, citing various issues, further contributed to the decline. Conversely, Marvel Rivals enjoys mostly positive reviews, despite some acknowledged balancing concerns.
Steam Represents a Small Portion of the Total Player Base
It's crucial to remember that the Steam player count only represents a fraction of Overwatch 2's total player base. Available on multiple platforms (Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, and Battle.net), a significant portion of the player community resides outside of Steam. The relatively recent addition of Overwatch 2 to Steam in 2023, a year after its Battle.net launch, and the requirement of a Battle.net account for cross-platform play likely contribute to this discrepancy.
Overwatch 2's Ongoing Content Updates
Despite the player count dip, Overwatch 2 continues to release new content. Season 14 introduced a new hero, Hazard, a new limited-time mode, and the Winter Wonderland event.
Both Overwatch 2 and Marvel Rivals are free-to-play on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. Overwatch 2 is also available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.
