"Marvel Rivals Surges Amid Overwatch 2's Declining Steam Numbers"

Overwatch 2 experiences its lowest player count on Steam following the successful launch of Marvel Rivals. Dive in to see how their similarities have impacted each other's player bases.

Overwatch 2 Numbers Dip Below 20K Post Marvel Rivals Launch

OW2 Meets Its Match

Since the launch of Marvel Rivals on December 5th, Overwatch 2 has seen its player numbers plummet to an all-time low on Steam. On December 6th, Overwatch 2's player count fell to 17,591, further dropping to 16,919 by December 9th. In stark contrast, Marvel Rivals attracted a peak of 184,633 players on the 6th and surged to 202,077 on the 9th. When comparing their all-time peaks, Marvel Rivals dominates with 480,990 players, far exceeding Overwatch 2's peak of 75,608.

Both titles, being free-to-play, team-based PvP shooters, share similar gameplay mechanics, which has led to inevitable comparisons since Marvel Rivals debuted. Overwatch 2 has faced a backlash, resulting in a 'Mixed' review rating on Steam, criticized by both its own community and Marvel Rivals enthusiasts. Meanwhile, Marvel Rivals enjoys a 'Mostly Positive' rating despite some balancing concerns highlighted in reviews.

Steam Represents Only a Fraction of Overwatch 2's Player Base

It's important to recognize that Steam's figures only represent a slice of Overwatch 2's total player base. The game is also accessible on Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, and Blizzard's Battle.net. Discussions on Reddit suggest that many players prefer playing on Battle.net, as Overwatch 2 was initially released in Early Access on this platform in 2022, before being ported to Steam in 2023. Additionally, a Battle.net account is necessary for cross-platform play on any version of Overwatch 2.

Overwatch 2 has just kicked off Season 14, introducing a wealth of new content including a Scottish tank hero named Hazard, a new limited-time mode, and the start of the 2024 Winter Wonderland event, perfectly timed for the holiday season.

Both Overwatch 2 and Marvel Rivals are free to play on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. Overwatch 2 extends its reach to PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and the Nintendo Switch as well.