Blizzard Welcomes Marvel Rivals as Competitor, Acknowledges Similarity to Overwatch 2

From the moment Marvel Rivals was unveiled, comparisons to Overwatch were inevitable. At a glance, Marvel Rivals bears a striking resemblance to Blizzard's iconic game. Both utilize a roster of unique characters—Marvel Rivals featuring Marvel heroes and villains, while Overwatch showcases its own original cast. Both are competitive multiplayer hero shooters with similar mechanics and gameplay systems. Moreover, both Marvel Rivals and Overwatch 2 are free-to-play titles, adopting a live service model that relies on the continuous addition of new characters to maintain player engagement.

Since its launch in December, Marvel Rivals has seen a surge in popularity, leading to speculation that it's drawing players away from Overwatch 2. The narrative suggests that Blizzard's game is experiencing a decline as NetEase's Marvel Rivals captures a significant portion of its audience.

In a recent interview with GamesRadar, Overwatch 2 director Aaron Keller addressed the impact of Marvel Rivals' release, which has attracted tens of millions of players.

Overwatch 2 Perks

4 Images"We're obviously in a new competitive landscape that I think, for Overwatch, we've never really been in before, to this extent where there's another game that's so similar to the one that we've created," Keller remarked.

Contrary to what one might expect, Keller described the situation as "exciting" and praised Marvel Rivals for taking the concepts established by Overwatch in "a different direction." He acknowledged that the success of Marvel Rivals has prompted a shift in Blizzard's approach to Overwatch 2, stating, "this is no longer about playing it safe."

In response, Blizzard has announced significant changes slated for Overwatch 2 in 2025. Alongside the usual new content, the core gameplay will undergo substantial transformations, including the introduction of hero perks and the return of loot boxes.

The gaming community is keenly watching to see if these changes will reignite interest in Overwatch 2. It's been nearly nine years since the original Overwatch debuted in 2016, and over two-and-a-half years since Overwatch 2's launch. Although Blizzard does not disclose Overwatch player numbers, data from Steam shows that concurrent player numbers for Overwatch 2 are at their lowest since its release on the platform in 2023, with a peak of just 37,046 players over the last 24 hours.

In contrast, Marvel Rivals maintains its position as a top 10 most-played game on Steam, boasting a peak of 310,287 concurrent players in the same period.

Marvel Rivals Tier List: Best Heroes

Overwatch 2 currently holds a 'mostly negative' user review rating on Steam. In August 2023, it even became the worst user-reviewed game on the platform, largely due to backlash over its monetization strategy. Blizzard faced significant criticism for updating the premium original Overwatch into a free-to-play sequel, rendering the original game unplayable in 2022. Overwatch 2 also faced multiple controversies, including the cancellation of its highly anticipated PvE Hero mode, which many players felt was the primary justification for the sequel.

For more in-depth coverage on Marvel Rivals, including developer comments on datamining and discussions about a potential Nintendo Switch 2 version, head over to IGN.