Overwatch 2 Dev Blizzard Welcomes Marvel Rivals Competition, Says It’s Never Faced Another Game ‘So Similar to the One We've Created’

Marvel Rivals, since its unveiling, has drawn inevitable comparisons to Overwatch. Superficially, the similarities are striking: both are competitive multiplayer hero shooters, with Marvel Rivals utilizing Marvel characters where Overwatch employs its own roster. Both share comparable mechanics and gameplay systems. Furthermore, both are free-to-play, live-service games reliant on new character additions to maintain player engagement.

Marvel Rivals' explosive popularity since its December launch has fueled speculation about a corresponding decline in Overwatch 2's player base. The prevailing narrative suggests NetEase's Marvel Rivals is actively drawing players away from Blizzard's title.

In a recent GamesRadar interview, Overwatch 2 director Aaron Keller acknowledged this new competitive landscape, unprecedented for Overwatch, with a directly competing game attracting tens of millions of players.

Overwatch 2's Response

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Keller described the situation as "exciting," praising Marvel Rivals for taking established Overwatch concepts in "a different direction." However, he also admitted Marvel Rivals' success has prompted a significant shift in Blizzard's approach to Overwatch 2, declaring, "this is no longer about playing it safe."

This has led to the announcement of substantial changes for Overwatch 2 in 2025. While the roadmap includes anticipated new content, core gameplay will undergo a major overhaul, featuring the introduction of hero perks and the return of loot boxes.

The success of these changes remains to be seen. Nearly nine years after the original Overwatch's release and two and a half years since Overwatch 2 launched, Blizzard hasn't disclosed player numbers, but Steam concurrent player counts are at their lowest since the game's 2023 launch on the platform, peaking at 37,046 in the last 24 hours. In contrast, Marvel Rivals maintains a top 10 Steam position, with a 24-hour peak of 310,287 concurrent players.

Overwatch 2 currently holds a "mostly negative" user review rating on Steam, reaching the dubious distinction of being Steam's worst-reviewed game in August 2023. Negative reviews largely center on monetization practices following the controversial transition from a premium model to a free-to-play sequel, rendering the original Overwatch unplayable in 2022. Further controversies, including the cancellation of the anticipated PvE Hero mode, a key feature cited by players as justifying the sequel, have contributed to the negative reception.

IGN offers further coverage of Marvel Rivals, including developer statements on datamining and potential Nintendo Switch 2 development.