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 akin to Overwatch's. Both are free-to-play, live-service titles, 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 similar to their own.

Overwatch 2's Response

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Keller described the situation as "exciting," praising Marvel Rivals for taking established Overwatch concepts in "a different direction." However, he also admitted 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 roadmap includes expected new content, the core gameplay will undergo a substantial overhaul, introducing hero perks and the 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 since Overwatch 2's launch, Blizzard hasn't disclosed player numbers. However, Steam concurrent player counts for Overwatch 2 are at historic lows, peaking at 37,046 in the last 24 hours. In contrast, Marvel Rivals maintains a top 10 Steam position, with a 310,287 concurrent player peak over the same period.

Overwatch 2 currently holds a "mostly negative" user review rating on Steam, a consequence of controversies surrounding its monetization and the cancellation of its highly anticipated PvE Hero mode.

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