From the moment Marvel Rivals was unveiled, it drew inevitable comparisons to Overwatch. At first glance, the similarities are striking: Marvel Rivals, much like Overwatch, is a competitive multiplayer hero shooter that employs Marvel heroes and villains as its playable characters. Both games are free-to-play, operate as live services, and rely on the introduction of new characters to keep the gameplay fresh and engaging.
Since its launch in December, Marvel Rivals has seen explosive growth, with many speculating that this surge has come at the expense of Overwatch 2's player base. According to current narratives, Blizzard's game is experiencing a decline as NetEase's Marvel Rivals attracts a significant number of players.
In a recent interview with GamesRadar, Aaron Keller, the director of Overwatch 2, addressed the new competitive landscape Blizzard faces with Marvel Rivals now capturing the attention of tens of millions of players.
Overwatch 2 Perks
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Keller acknowledged the unprecedented competition, stating, "We're obviously in a new competitive landscape that I think, for Overwatch, we've never really been in before, to this extent where there's another game that's so similar to the one that we've created." Despite the potential threat, Keller found the situation "exciting" and praised Marvel Rivals for taking Overwatch's established ideas in a "different direction."
The success of Marvel Rivals has prompted a shift in Blizzard's approach to Overwatch 2. Keller admitted, "this is no longer about playing it safe." In response, Blizzard has announced significant changes for Overwatch 2 in 2025, including new content and a major overhaul of the core gameplay. These changes will introduce hero perks and bring back loot boxes, aiming to revitalize player interest.
As Overwatch 2 approaches its ninth year since the original game's debut in 2016, and two-and-a-half years since the launch of Overwatch 2, the game's future hangs in the balance. Although Blizzard does not disclose Overwatch player numbers, Steam data shows that concurrent player numbers for Overwatch 2 are at their lowest since its launch on the platform in 2023, with a peak of 37,046 players over the last 24 hours.
In contrast, Marvel Rivals remains among the top 10 most-played games on Steam, boasting a concurrent player peak of 310,287 over the same period.
Marvel Rivals Tier List: Best Heroes
Marvel Rivals Tier List: Best Heroes
Overwatch 2's user review rating on Steam remains 'mostly negative.' In August 2023, it even achieved the dubious distinction of being the worst user-reviewed game on Steam, largely due to criticism over its monetization practices. Blizzard faced backlash for transitioning the premium Overwatch into a free-to-play sequel, rendering the original game unplayable in 2022. Overwatch 2 also faced further controversy with the cancellation of its highly anticipated PvE Hero mode, which many players believed justified the sequel's existence.
For more insights into Marvel Rivals, including the developer's stance on datamining and speculation about a potential Nintendo Switch 2 version, check out IGN's comprehensive coverage.
