Marvel Rivals Soars as Overwatch 2 Steam Player Count Fall

Overwatch 2's Steam player count plummets following Marvel Rivals' successful launch. The impact of Marvel Rivals on Overwatch 2's player base is analyzed below.

A Direct Comparison

Marvel Rivals Soars as Overwatch 2 Steam Player Count Fall

Following Marvel Rivals' December 5th release, Overwatch 2 experienced its lowest ever concurrent player count on Steam. On December 6th, the player count dipped to 17,591, further declining to 16,919 by December 9th. This starkly contrasts with Marvel Rivals' impressive concurrent player counts of 184,633 and 202,077 on those same dates. The disparity is even more pronounced when considering all-time peaks: Marvel Rivals boasts a staggering 480,990 peak concurrent players, significantly exceeding Overwatch 2's 75,608. The games' similar free-to-play, team-based PVP shooter mechanics have fueled comparisons, with Overwatch 2 receiving mixed Steam reviews, while Marvel Rivals enjoys mostly positive feedback despite some balancing concerns.

Steam Represents a Small Portion of Overwatch 2's Total Players

Marvel Rivals Soars as Overwatch 2 Steam Player Count Fall

It's crucial to remember that Steam only represents a fraction of Overwatch 2's total player base. Available on Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, and Blizzard's Battle.net, many players utilize Battle.net, especially considering the Steam port arrived in 2023, a year after its Battle.net Early Access launch. Cross-platform play across all platforms also requires a Battle.net account.

Overwatch 2 Season 14 and Beyond

Despite the Steam player count decrease, Overwatch 2 launched Season 14, featuring new content including the Scottish tank hero, Hazard, a new limited-time mode, and the 2024 Winter Wonderland event.

Both Overwatch 2 and Marvel Rivals are available on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. Overwatch 2 also supports PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.