Blizzard Embraces Marvel Rivals, Signals Major Overwatch 2 Overhaul

Marvel Rivals, often likened to Overwatch since its debut, shares striking similarities with Blizzard’s title. While Marvel Rivals features Marvel heroes and villains, it mirrors Overwatch as a competitive multiplayer hero shooter with comparable mechanics and gameplay. Both Marvel Rivals and Overwatch 2 operate as free-to-play live services, relying on new characters to maintain player engagement.

Since its December launch, Marvel Rivals has surged in popularity, potentially drawing players away from Overwatch 2. Blizzard’s game, according to recent trends, is losing ground as NetEase’s Marvel Rivals captures its audience.

In a GamesRadar interview, Overwatch 2 director Aaron Keller addressed the competitive shift, with Marvel Rivals now commanding millions of players.

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"We’re navigating a new competitive landscape, unlike anything Overwatch has faced before, with another game so closely aligned to ours," Keller noted.

Surprisingly, Keller described the situation as “exciting,” praising Marvel Rivals for taking Overwatch’s concepts in a “fresh direction.”

However, Keller acknowledged that Marvel Rivals’ success has prompted a strategic shift at Blizzard for Overwatch 2, stating: “We can’t afford to play it safe anymore.”

Blizzard has unveiled bold changes for Overwatch 2 in 2025. Beyond expected new content, the core gameplay will undergo a major transformation, including hero perks and the reintroduction of loot boxes.

All eyes are on Overwatch 2 to see if these updates can revive its popularity. Nearly nine years since Overwatch’s 2016 debut and two-and-a-half years since Overwatch 2’s launch, player numbers are at historic lows. Steam data shows a 24-hour concurrent player peak of 37,046 for Overwatch 2, the lowest since its 2023 debut on Valve’s platform.

In contrast, Marvel Rivals ranks among Steam’s top 10 most-played games, with a 24-hour concurrent player peak of 310,287.

Overwatch 2 maintains a ‘mostly negative’ user review rating on Steam. In August 2023, it became Steam’s lowest-rated game ever, with criticism centered on its monetization model. Blizzard faced backlash for transitioning the premium Overwatch into a free-to-play sequel in 2022, rendering the original unplayable. Overwatch 2 also faced controversies, including the cancellation of its anticipated PvE Hero mode, which players viewed as the sequel’s core justification.

IGN offers extensive coverage on Marvel Rivals, including developer insights on datamining and speculation about a potential Nintendo Switch 2 release.