Overwatch 2 Dev Blizzard Welcomes Marvel Rivals Competition, Says It’s Never Faced Another Game ‘So Similar to the One We've Created’

From its unveiling, *Marvel Rivals* drew immediate comparisons to *Overwatch*. Superficially, the resemblance is striking. Both are competitive multiplayer hero shooters; *Marvel Rivals* simply substitutes Marvel characters for *Overwatch*'s roster. The core mechanics and gameplay loop share remarkable similarities. Both are free-to-play, live-service titles relying on new character additions to maintain player engagement.

Since its December launch, *Marvel Rivals* has exploded in popularity, fueling speculation that it's siphoning players away from *Overwatch 2*. The narrative suggests *Overwatch 2*'s player base is shrinking as NetEase's *Marvel Rivals* gains traction.

In a recent GamesRadar interview, *Overwatch 2* director Aaron Keller acknowledged this new competitive landscape, unprecedented in *Overwatch*'s history, with a directly comparable competitor now established.

Overwatch 2 Perks

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"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 stated.

Surprisingly, Keller views this situation as "exciting," even praising *Marvel Rivals* for taking established *Overwatch* ideas in "a different direction."

However, Keller admitted *Marvel Rivals*' success has prompted a significant shift in Blizzard's approach to *Overwatch 2*: "this is no longer about playing it safe."

Consequently, Blizzard announced sweeping changes for *Overwatch 2* in 2025. While the roadmap includes expected new content, the core gameplay will undergo a dramatic overhaul, including the introduction of hero perks and the return of loot boxes.

The success of these changes in revitalizing *Overwatch 2* remains to be seen. Almost nine years after the original *Overwatch*'s debut in 2016, and two and a half years since *Overwatch 2*'s launch, while Blizzard doesn't release player numbers, Steam concurrent player counts are at their lowest point since the game's 2023 release on the platform, peaking at 37,046 in the last 24 hours.

In contrast, *Marvel Rivals* remains a top 10 Steam game, boasting a 24-hour concurrent player peak of 310,287.

Marvel Rivals Tier List: Best Heroes

Marvel Rivals Tier List: Best Heroes

*Overwatch 2* maintains a largely negative user review rating on Steam. In August 2023, it even became the worst-reviewed game on Steam. Criticism largely centers on monetization following the controversial transition from a premium model to a free-to-play sequel, rendering the original *Overwatch* unplayable in 2022. Further controversies included the cancellation of the highly anticipated PvE Hero mode—a feature many considered crucial to the sequel's justification.

IGN offers further coverage of *Marvel Rivals*, including developer clarifications on datamining and discussions about a potential Nintendo Switch 2 version.