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

The competitive landscape of team-based arena shooters has seen a seismic shift with the launch of Marvel Rivals, directly impacting Overwatch 2's player count on Steam. Dive deeper to understand the dynamics at play between these two similar yet distinct titles.

Overwatch 2 Numbers Dip Below 20K Post-Marvel Rivals Launch

OW2 Meets Its Match

Following the highly anticipated release of Marvel Rivals on December 5th, Overwatch 2 experienced a significant decline in its player base on Steam. By the morning of December 6th, the player count plummeted to 17,591, further decreasing to 16,919 by December 9th. In stark contrast, Marvel Rivals attracted a massive audience, peaking at 184,633 players on December 6th and soaring to 202,077 by the 9th. When it comes to all-time peak concurrent players, Marvel Rivals dominates with 480,990, far outstripping Overwatch 2's peak of 75,608.

The two games share a common foundation as free-to-play, team-based PVP shooters with captivating gameplay mechanics, leading to inevitable comparisons. Unfortunately for Overwatch 2, the game has been met with a barrage of negative reviews on Steam, not only from Marvel Rivals enthusiasts but also from its own player base, resulting in a 'Mixed' overall review rating. Meanwhile, Marvel Rivals has secured a 'Mostly Positive' rating, despite some criticism regarding balancing issues.

Steam Is Just a Slice of Overwatch 2's Player Base

It's important to recognize that Steam represents only a fraction of Overwatch 2's total player base. The game is accessible across multiple platforms, including Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, and Blizzard's Battle.net. Discussions on Reddit suggest that a significant number of players prefer Battle.net, especially since the Steam version was introduced in 2023, a year after its Early Access launch on Battle.net. Cross-platform play on any platform other than Steam necessitates a Battle.net account.

Adding to the excitement, Overwatch 2 kicked off Season 14, bringing a wealth of new content to the table. This includes the introduction of a new Scottish tank hero, Hazard, a new limited-time game mode, and the start of the 2024 Winter Wonderland event, perfectly timed for the holiday season.

Both Overwatch 2 and Marvel Rivals are available for free on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. Overwatch 2 extends its reach further, being playable on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.