Overwatch 2 Steam reviews shift to 'Mixed'

Overwatch 2 Season 15 has been positively received, helping rehabilitate the game's reputation after it previously earned the distinction of Steam's worst-reviewed title.

Nearly nine years have passed since Overwatch's 2016 debut and over two years since Overwatch 2's controversial launch. The sequel made headlines in August 2023 by becoming the most negatively reviewed game on Steam, with criticism primarily targeting aggressive monetization tactics. Players were particularly upset when Blizzard transitioned the premium Overwatch into an inaccessible state while converting its sequel to a free-to-play model in 2022.

The game's struggles continued with the cancellation of its promised PvE Hero mode—the very feature many believed justified the sequel's existence.

While Overwatch 2 maintains a 'mostly negative' overall rating on Steam, its recent reviews have improved to 'mixed.' About 43% of the 5,325 user evaluations from the past month were favorable, representing significant progress for a game that previously faced overwhelming backlash.

This positive shift coincides with Season 15's major updates, which introduced fundamental gameplay changes including hero perks and the return of loot boxes—features many players had been requesting.

Overwatch 2 Season 15 Screenshots

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"They finally released the proper Overwatch 2," one satisfied player wrote. "These latest updates represent what the game should have been before corporate decisions compromised its vision."

Another review noted: "For the first time, I feel compelled to defend Overwatch. The developers have successfully blended classic elements from the original with fresh mechanics. The competition seems to have pushed them to improve significantly—now we just need better battle pass content next season."

This likely references Marvel Rivals, NetEase's hero-based competitive shooter that has attracted 40 million players since its December launch, emerging as strong competition.

In a GamesRadar interview, game director Aaron Keller acknowledged this new competitive landscape: "We're facing unprecedented competition from titles that closely resemble our game. While challenging, seeing Marvel Rivals take our foundation in new directions is actually exciting."

Keller admitted this competition has forced Blizzard to abandon conservative approaches, stating: "We can no longer afford to play it safe."

While it's too early to declare Overwatch fully recovered—particularly given Steam's mixed reception—Season 15 has demonstrably boosted player engagement. Peak concurrent users on Steam nearly doubled to 60,000, though actual player counts across Battle.net, PlayStation, and Xbox remain undisclosed.

For comparison, Marvel Rivals—which recently launched its own mid-season update—recorded 305,816 peak concurrent players on Steam in the past day, highlighting the ongoing competition between these hero shooter titles.