Overwatch 2 Season 15 has breathed new life into the game, significantly improving player sentiment and marking a turning point from its previously disastrous reception on Steam. Nearly nine years after the original Overwatch launched, and two and a half years after Overwatch 2's controversial free-to-play transition, the game hit rock bottom in August 2023, becoming the worst-reviewed game on Steam due to heavy criticism of its monetization practices and the forced update rendering the original unplayable. Further controversies, including the cancellation of the highly anticipated PvE Hero mode, added fuel to the fire.
While still holding a "mostly negative" overall rating, recent reviews show a remarkable shift towards "mixed," with 43% of the 5,325 reviews in the past 30 days being positive. This positive swing is largely attributed to Season 15's impactful changes. The update introduced significant gameplay alterations, including hero perks and the return of loot boxes, alongside the expected new content.
Overwatch 2 Season 15 Screenshots
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Positive player feedback reflects this shift. Comments like, "They just released Overwatch 2," highlighting the update as a return to the game's original strengths, and "Going back to what worked in Overwatch 1," praising the incorporation of new mechanics, are becoming increasingly common. Another review even references the success of Marvel Rivals, a competing hero shooter, suggesting that the pressure from this rival has pushed Blizzard to improve Overwatch 2.
The emergence of Marvel Rivals, with its 40 million downloads since December, has undeniably impacted Blizzard's approach to Overwatch 2. 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 concepts. He also admitted that Marvel Rivals' success has prompted Blizzard to abandon a "play it safe" strategy.
Despite the positive momentum, it's premature to declare Overwatch 2's complete resurgence. The fluctuating Steam reviews suggest a long road ahead. However, Season 15 has already resulted in a near doubling of peak concurrent players on Steam, reaching approximately 60,000. It's important to note that these figures only represent the Steam player base, as Overwatch 2 is also available on Battle.net, PlayStation, and Xbox, with player counts unavailable for those platforms. For comparison, Marvel Rivals boasts 305,816 peak concurrent players on Steam.
