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, since its unveiling, has drawn inevitable comparisons to Overwatch. Superficially, the similarities are striking: both are competitive multiplayer hero shooters, with Marvel Rivals utilizing Marvel characters in a gameplay structure remarkably similar to Overwatch's mechanics. 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 fueled speculation about a corresponding decline in Overwatch 2's player base. The prevailing narrative suggests NetEase's title is siphoning players away from Blizzard's offering.

In a recent GamesRadar interview, Overwatch 2 director Aaron Keller addressed this new competitive landscape, acknowledging the unprecedented challenge posed by a game so closely resembling their own.

Overwatch 2's Response

4 Images

Keller described the situation as "exciting," praising Marvel Rivals for taking established Overwatch concepts in "a different direction." However, he also conceded that Marvel Rivals' success has prompted a significant shift in Blizzard's approach to Overwatch 2, declaring, "this is no longer about playing it safe."

This has led to the announcement of sweeping changes for Overwatch 2 in 2025. While the planned roadmap includes expected new content, the core gameplay will undergo a major overhaul, including 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, Blizzard hasn't disclosed player numbers. However, Steam concurrent player counts for Overwatch 2 are at their lowest since its 2023 launch, peaking at 37,046 in the last 24 hours. In contrast, Marvel Rivals maintains its position as a top 10 Steam game, with a concurrent player peak of 310,287 over the same period.

Overwatch 2's Steam reviews remain "mostly negative," reaching the ignominious title of Steam's worst-reviewed game in August 2023. Criticism largely centers on monetization practices following the controversial transition from a premium model to a free-to-play sequel, rendering the original Overwatch unplayable. Further controversies, including the cancellation of the highly anticipated PvE Hero mode, have fueled negative sentiment.

IGN offers further coverage of Marvel Rivals, including developer comments on datamining and the possibility of a Nintendo Switch 2 version.