Marvel Rivals' meteoric rise coincides with a significant drop in Overwatch 2's Steam player count. This article explores the impact of these similar games on each other's player bases.
Overwatch 2's Steam player numbers plummeted following the December 5th launch of Marvel Rivals. On December 6th, the count fell to 17,591, further declining to 16,919 by December 9th. This contrasts sharply with Marvel Rivals' impressive concurrent player counts of 184,633 and 202,077 on those same dates, respectively. Marvel Rivals also boasts a significantly higher all-time peak of 480,990 players compared to Overwatch 2's 75,608.
Both games are free-to-play, team-based PVP shooters, leading to inevitable comparisons. Overwatch 2's Steam reviews are currently "Mixed," impacted by negative feedback from both Marvel Rivals fans and dissatisfied Overwatch 2 players. Conversely, Marvel Rivals enjoys "Mostly Positive" reviews, despite some noted balancing issues.
It's crucial to remember that Steam represents only a fraction of Overwatch 2's total player base. The game is also available on Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, and Battle.net. Reddit discussions suggest a portion of the player base shifted to Battle.net, especially considering the Steam version's 2023 release, a year after its Battle.net launch. Cross-platform play also necessitates a Battle.net account.
Overwatch 2 recently launched Season 14, featuring a new hero (Hazard), a limited-time mode, and the Winter Wonderland event.
Both Overwatch 2 and Marvel Rivals are available for free on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. Overwatch 2 also supports PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.
