Overwatch 2 Season 15: A Resurgence?
Overwatch 2, launched two and a half years after its predecessor, faced a tumultuous start. In August 2023, it earned the dubious distinction of being Steam's worst-reviewed game ever, largely due to criticisms surrounding its monetization strategy and the controversial shift from a premium model to free-to-play, rendering the original Overwatch unplayable. Further controversies, including the cancellation of the highly anticipated PvE Hero mode, fueled the negative sentiment.
Despite maintaining a "mostly negative" overall Steam rating, Season 15 has sparked a noticeable shift. Recent reviews show a significant improvement, reaching a "mixed" rating, with 43% of the 5,325 reviews from the last 30 days being positive. This is a remarkable turnaround for a game previously overwhelmed by negativity.
This positive shift is attributed to the sweeping changes introduced in Season 15. While the roadmap includes expected new content, the core gameplay has undergone a dramatic overhaul, notably with the addition of hero perks and the return of loot boxes.
Overwatch 2 Season 15 Screenshots
9 Images
Player feedback reflects this change. Recent positive reviews highlight the update as a return to the game's original strengths, praising the improvements and suggesting the game is finally living up to its potential. One review even directly credits the update with fixing issues stemming from "corporate greed." Another mentions the positive impact of addressing concerns that led to the game’s previous poor reception. The success of the similar game, Marvel Rivals (40 million downloads since December), is also referenced, suggesting a renewed competitive spirit.
In an interview with GamesRadar, Overwatch 2 director Aaron Keller acknowledged the impact of Marvel Rivals and the resulting shift in Blizzard's approach to Overwatch 2, emphasizing a move away from "playing it safe."
While it's premature to declare Overwatch 2's complete resurgence, Season 15 has undeniably boosted player numbers on Steam, nearly doubling peak concurrent players to 60,000. It's important to note that these figures only represent Steam players; total player counts across all platforms remain undisclosed. For comparison, Marvel Rivals boasts significantly higher concurrent player numbers on Steam (305,816 in the last 24 hours). The fluctuating Steam reviews suggest a challenging path to consistently positive reception, but Season 15 undeniably represents a significant step forward.
