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: A Competitive Landscape Shift for Overwatch 2

Since its release, Marvel Rivals has drawn significant comparisons to Overwatch, its gameplay remarkably similar despite featuring Marvel characters. Both are free-to-play, live-service games relying on new character additions to maintain player engagement. Marvel Rivals' explosive popularity since its December launch has reportedly impacted Overwatch 2's player base.

In a recent interview with GamesRadar, Overwatch 2 director Aaron Keller acknowledged the intensified competition. While initially viewing the situation as "exciting," Keller admitted Marvel Rivals' success has prompted a shift in Blizzard's strategy for Overwatch 2, moving away from a "playing it safe" approach.

Overwatch 2's Response: A Seismic Shift

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To counter this, Blizzard announced major changes for Overwatch 2 in 2025. These include not only the expected new content additions but also core gameplay alterations, such as the introduction of hero perks and the controversial 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 after Overwatch 2's launch, Steam concurrent player numbers for Overwatch 2 are at an all-time low (37,046 peak in the last 24 hours), contrasting sharply with Marvel Rivals' top 10 Steam ranking (310,287 peak).

Overwatch 2's Ongoing Challenges

Overwatch 2 maintains a mostly negative user review rating on Steam, reaching the dubious distinction of being the worst-reviewed game on the platform in August 2023. Criticism largely centers on monetization practices following the controversial transition from a premium model to free-to-play, rendering the original Overwatch unplayable. Further controversy surrounded the cancellation of the highly anticipated PvE Hero mode.

Meanwhile, Marvel Rivals continues to thrive, with IGN providing further coverage, including developer insights on datamining and the potential for a Nintendo Switch 2 version.