Marvel Rivals' Success Impacts Overwatch 2's Steam Player Count

Overwatch 2 experienced a significant drop in Steam player numbers following the launch of Marvel Rivals, a competing team-based shooter. This decline highlights the competitive landscape of the free-to-play arena shooter market.

A Direct Comparison

Since its December 5th release, Marvel Rivals has attracted a considerably larger player base than Overwatch 2 on Steam. On December 6th, Overwatch 2's player count plummeted to 17,591, further decreasing to 16,919 by December 9th. In stark contrast, Marvel Rivals boasted 184,633 players on December 6th and 202,077 on December 9th. The disparity is even more pronounced when comparing all-time peaks: Marvel Rivals reached 480,990 concurrent players, significantly outpacing Overwatch 2's 75,608. This head-to-head comparison underscores the impact of Marvel Rivals' launch on Overwatch 2's Steam performance. Both games share similar free-to-play, team-based PVP mechanics, leading to inevitable comparisons. However, Overwatch 2's Steam reviews are currently "Mixed," while Marvel Rivals enjoys a "Mostly Positive" rating.

Steam Represents a Small Portion of Overwatch 2's Total Players

It's crucial to remember that Steam only represents a fraction of Overwatch 2's total player count. The game is also available on Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, and Blizzard's Battle.net platform. Many players may prefer Battle.net, especially considering Overwatch 2's Steam port arrived in 2023, a year after its Battle.net launch. Cross-platform play also necessitates a Battle.net account.

Despite the Steam player count dip, Overwatch 2 recently launched Season 14, featuring new content such as the Scottish tank hero, Hazard, a new limited-time mode, and the Winter Wonderland event.

Both Overwatch 2 and Marvel Rivals are available for free on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. Overwatch 2 is also available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.