Blizzard Embraces Marvel Rivals' Rise, Signals Major Overwatch 2 Overhaul

Marvel Rivals has drawn inevitable comparisons to Overwatch since its reveal. At its core, Marvel Rivals mirrors Blizzard’s game; while it features Marvel heroes and villains as playable characters, it remains a competitive multiplayer hero shooter with strikingly similar mechanics and gameplay. Both Marvel Rivals and Overwatch 2 are free-to-play, monetized as live services, and rely on new characters to keep the experience vibrant.

Since its December launch, Marvel Rivals has surged in popularity, potentially pulling players away from Overwatch 2. Current sentiment suggests Blizzard’s title is losing ground as NetEase’s Marvel Rivals captures its audience.

In a recent GamesRadar interview, Overwatch 2 director Aaron Keller addressed the new competitive landscape, with Marvel Rivals attracting millions of players.

Overwatch 2 Perks

"We’re navigating a new competitive environment, one Overwatch hasn’t faced to this degree, with another game so closely resembling ours," Keller noted.

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

Still, Keller acknowledged that Marvel Rivals’ success has prompted Blizzard to rethink its approach to Overwatch 2, stating: “We can’t afford to play it safe anymore.”

Blizzard has unveiled sweeping 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 attention is on Overwatch 2 to see if these updates can revive its popularity. Nearly nine years after Overwatch’s 2016 debut and two-and-a-half years since Overwatch 2’s launch, player numbers are at a low. Steam data shows a 24-hour peak of 37,046 concurrent players, the lowest since Overwatch 2’s 2023 debut on the platform.

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

Overwatch 2 retains a ‘mostly negative’ user review rating on Steam, having briefly held the title of the platform’s worst-reviewed game in August 2023. Criticism largely stems from its monetization model, with Blizzard facing backlash for transitioning the premium original Overwatch into a free-to-play sequel in 2022, rendering the original unplayable. Further controversies, including the scrapping of its anticipated PvE Hero mode, a feature players felt justified the sequel, have compounded issues.

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