Ever since its reveal, Marvel Rivals has drawn inevitable comparisons to Overwatch. At a glance, the similarities are striking. Both games are competitive multiplayer hero shooters, with Marvel Rivals featuring beloved Marvel heroes and villains as playable characters, just as Overwatch does with its unique cast. Both titles are free-to-play, operate as live service games, and keep players engaged through the regular introduction of new characters.

Since its launch in December, Marvel Rivals has seen explosive growth, and many speculate this surge has come at the expense of Overwatch 2's player base. The narrative suggests that Blizzard's game is losing ground while NetEase's Marvel Rivals captures the attention of millions.

In a recent interview with GamesRadar, Aaron Keller, the director of Overwatch 2, addressed this new competitive landscape. "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," Keller explained. Despite the potential threat, he found the situation "exciting" and praised Marvel Rivals for taking Overwatch's established ideas in a "different direction."

Keller acknowledged that Marvel Rivals' success has forced Blizzard to adopt a more aggressive approach to Overwatch 2. "This is no longer about playing it safe," he stated. In response, Blizzard has unveiled ambitious plans for Overwatch 2 in 2025, promising not just new content but also significant changes to the core gameplay, including the introduction of hero perks and the controversial return of loot boxes.

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, all eyes are on Blizzard to see if these changes can reignite player interest. While Blizzard keeps its player numbers under wraps, Overwatch 2's concurrent player peak on Steam over the last 24 hours was just 37,046, a historic low since its launch on the platform in 2023. In contrast, Marvel Rivals remains a top 10 most-played game on Steam, with a concurrent player peak of 310,287 over the same period.

Overwatch 2 continues to struggle with a 'mostly negative' user review rating on Steam, having earned the dubious distinction of being the worst user-reviewed game on the platform in August 2023. The backlash largely stems from monetization issues following Blizzard's decision to convert the premium Overwatch into a free-to-play sequel, rendering the original game unplayable. Further controversies, including the cancellation of the much-anticipated PvE Hero mode, have fueled player discontent, with many feeling the mode was the sole justification for the sequel's existence.

For more on Marvel Rivals, including developer insights on datamining and the potential for a Nintendo Switch 2 version, check out IGN's coverage.

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