Since its reveal, Marvel Rivals has drawn inevitable comparisons to Overwatch due to their striking similarities. Both games are competitive multiplayer hero shooters, featuring free-to-play models and live service monetization, with a focus on introducing new characters to keep gameplay engaging. Marvel Rivals, utilizing Marvel's iconic heroes and villains, launched in December to explosive popularity, which some speculate has come at the expense of Overwatch 2's player base.

In a recent interview with GamesRadar, Overwatch 2 director Aaron Keller addressed the competitive landscape that Blizzard now faces with the rise of Marvel Rivals, which has attracted tens of millions of players. Keller described the situation as "exciting" and praised Marvel Rivals for taking Overwatch's established ideas in a "different direction." However, he acknowledged that the success of Marvel Rivals has forced Blizzard to adopt a more aggressive approach with Overwatch 2, stating, "this is no longer about playing it safe."

Overwatch 2 Perks

4 Images

Blizzard has announced significant changes coming to Overwatch 2 in 2025, including new content and a major overhaul of the core gameplay. Key features include the introduction of hero perks and the return of loot boxes. These changes aim to reignite interest in the game, which has seen its concurrent player numbers on Steam drop to historic lows since its launch on the platform in 2023, with a recent peak of 37,046 players over the last 24 hours.

In contrast, Marvel Rivals remains a top 10 most-played game on Steam, boasting a peak of 310,287 concurrent players over the same period. Overwatch 2 continues to struggle with a 'mostly negative' user review rating on Steam, primarily due to controversies surrounding its monetization and the cancellation of the anticipated PvE Hero mode, which many felt justified the sequel's existence.

For more on Marvel Rivals, including developer insights on datamining and potential plans for a Nintendo Switch 2 version, check out IGN's coverage.