Overwatch 2's Season 15 revitalizes the game, significantly improving player sentiment and marking a turning point from its historically low Steam user reviews.
Nearly nine years after the original Overwatch's release and two and a half years after Overwatch 2's launch, the game had plummeted to the lowest user-reviewed title on Steam in August 2023. Criticism centered on monetization strategies following Blizzard's controversial transition of the original game into a free-to-play sequel, rendering the original unplayable. Further controversies, including the cancellation of the anticipated PvE Hero mode, fueled negative reception.
Despite maintaining a "mostly negative" overall Steam rating, recent reviews reveal a shift towards "mixed," with 43% of the 5,325 reviews from the past 30 days being positive. This is a considerable achievement given the game's overwhelmingly negative history on the platform.
Season 15's impactful changes are credited for this improvement. While the roadmap includes expected new content, core gameplay has undergone a significant overhaul, introducing hero perks and the return of loot boxes.
Overwatch 2 Season 15 Screenshots
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Positive reviews highlight the update's return to the original Overwatch's successful formula while incorporating fresh mechanics. The success of the competitive multiplayer hero shooter, Marvel Rivals (40 million downloads since December), has also influenced Blizzard's approach.
In an interview with GamesRadar, Overwatch 2 director Aaron Keller acknowledged the intensified competition, describing the situation as "exciting" and praising Marvel Rivals for its innovative take on established Overwatch concepts. He emphasized that Blizzard is now embracing a riskier approach to development for Overwatch 2.
While it's premature to declare Overwatch's complete resurgence, Season 15's impact is undeniable. Steam's concurrent player count has nearly doubled to 60,000. It's important to note that Overwatch 2's availability on other platforms (Battle.net, PlayStation, Xbox) prevents a complete picture of player numbers. For comparison, Marvel Rivals recently boasted 305,816 peak concurrent players on Steam. The future of Overwatch 2's Steam reviews remains uncertain, but Season 15 has undeniably injected new life into the game.
