Overwatch is officially the most-played hero shooter on Steam. It has staged a major comeback, surpassing Marvel Rivals. Blizzard originally launched the title in 2016. A sequel replaced it in 2022. Now, a massive rebranding has pushed the game to new heights.
Overwatch Dominates the Charts
Overwatch currently has over 64,532 active players. Meanwhile, Marvel Rivals has over 59,704. The gap is even wider in peak performance. Overwatch reached a 24-hour peak of 165,651 players. This is an all-time high for the title. Marvel Rivals reached a peak of 112,997 during the same window. Consequently, Blizzard has regained its competitive edge in the genre.
A New Identity & Fresh Content
This surge follows a major relaunch. Blizzard dropped the “2” from the title. The game is now simply “Overwatch”. This update overhauled the entire user interface. It provides more information to players at a glance.
Furthermore, the game introduced new sub-roles. These roles grant unique passive abilities. For instance, some heroes can now see through walls. Others benefit from increased health pack effectiveness.
The relaunch also added five brand-new playable characters. Fans finally received the highly requested Jetpack Cat. Emre, a character from the game’s comics, also joined the roster. Additionally, the game reset its seasonal progress. A new story titled “Reign of Talon” has begun. The first season, “Conquest”, features the debut of the villain Vendetta. Players must now choose sides in this conflict to earn weekly rewards.
Marvel Rivals Fights Back
NetEase Games continues to expand Marvel Rivals. The game already features a roster of over 45 characters. Elsa Bloodstone joins the lineup tomorrow, February 13. Moreover, rumours suggest more heroes are coming soon. In-game dialogue from Deadpool hints at the arrival of Cyclops and Ghost Rider.
However, Overwatch’s recent changes have successfully captured the community’s attention. Developers even redesigned a character based on player feedback. This commitment to listening to fans has fueled the game’s massive resurgence. The storyline will span six seasons this year. Each season will introduce one new hero to the game.
