Overwatch 2 hit it’s lowest player count on Steam following the release of Marvel Rivals and the numbers just keep on dropping for the Blizzard Entertainment title—although there is some hope.
Marvel Rivals’ release on Dec. 5 was followed by Overwatch 2 dropping to approximately 17,500 concurrent players a day later, an all-time low for the title that has since been beaten again with 16,900 players on Dec. 9, although there is a new season on Dec. 10.
Comparisons between Marvel Rivals and Overwatch 2 have been high since the former was first teased and a successful launch attracted over 10 million players in the first 72 hours, with concurrents going from strength-to-strength. Marvel Rivals hit a new all-time peak of roughly 490,000 on Steam alone on Dec. 8, numbers that dwarf Overwatch 2’s best on the platform, and those numbers are rising. In contrast, Overwatch 2 is dropping considerably.
In the last week of November, Overwatch 2‘s average concurrent player count on Steam was 51,000, a number that dropped to 43,000 on the week commencing Dec. 2. We’ve now seen the start of a new week, with the initial batch of numbers even lower. Review bombs have also hit Overwatch 2 on Steam in the wake of Marvel Rivals’ release, with recent reviews of the title being Mixed, while Marvel Rivals has achieved a “Mostly Positive” rating following launch.
Overwatch 2 isn’t dead in the water, however. Season 14 commences on Dec. 10 with Hazard, the new Scottish tank hero, a new limited-time mode, and the start of 2024’s Winter Wonderland event, which should draw players back to the game.
That said, Marvel Rivals continues to gather pace and this is merely just the start for the NetEase titles, with leaks already teasing a bunch of new characters coming to the game and the first proper season due to kick off in January 2025.
