After Becoming the Worst User-Reviewed Game Ever on Steam, Overwatch 2’s Recent Reviews Jump to ‘Mixed’

Overwatch 2 Season 15 is proving to be a turning point, significantly improving player sentiment and marking a considerable shift from its previous status as Steam's worst-reviewed game. Nearly nine years after the original Overwatch's debut and two and a half years after Overwatch 2's launch, the game faced a steep decline in August 2023, becoming infamous for its overwhelmingly negative user reviews largely centered on monetization controversies and the forced transition from a premium model to free-to-play. The cancellation of the highly anticipated PvE Hero mode further fueled the negative reception.

While still holding a "mostly negative" overall rating on Steam, recent reviews reveal a notable improvement to "mixed," with 43% of the 5,325 reviews submitted in the last 30 days being positive. This is a substantial achievement given the game's history of overwhelmingly negative feedback. The positive shift is largely attributed to Season 15's impactful changes, including the introduction of hero perks and the return of loot boxes, alongside the expected new content additions. The core gameplay alterations have resonated strongly with players.

Overwatch 2 Season 15 Screenshots

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Player comments reflect this positive shift. One recent review states, “They just released Overwatch 2,” referring to the improved state of the game, adding, “The recent update is what the game should always have been before corporate greed got in the way.” Another enthusiastic review praises the developers, stating, “For once, I must come to Overwatch's defense and say they really have stepped up their game. Going back to what worked in Overwatch 1 while introducing new and fun mechanics.” This review also mentions the impact of the popular competitor, Marvel Rivals.

The rise of Marvel Rivals, a similar hero shooter with 40 million downloads since its December launch, has undeniably influenced Blizzard's approach to Overwatch 2. In an interview with GamesRadar, Overwatch 2 director Aaron Keller acknowledged the intensified competition, describing the situation as "exciting" and praising Marvel Rivals for taking established ideas in "a different direction." However, Keller also admitted that Marvel Rivals' success has prompted a shift within Blizzard, emphasizing a move away from "playing it safe."

While it's premature to declare Overwatch's complete comeback, the positive trend in Steam reviews and a near doubling of peak concurrent players on the platform to 60,000 (though overall player numbers across all platforms remain undisclosed by Blizzard, Sony, and Microsoft) suggests a significant resurgence. This contrasts sharply with Marvel Rivals' impressive 305,816 peak concurrent players on Steam within the last 24 hours. The future remains uncertain, but Season 15 has undeniably injected new life into Overwatch 2.