Marvel Rivals, which many see as an homage, or perhaps more accurately, a copy, of Overwatch, has been capturing the attention of gamers everywhere. With around 400,000 nightly players just on Steam, it’s hard to ignore how this new entry is shifting the landscape. It’s outpacing not just Overwatch, but also making ripples on consoles. In contrast, we’re left wondering about the fate of our old favorite.
The numbers tell a concerning story for Overwatch. While most players are still using Blizzard’s launcher, data from Steam suggests something troubling is brewing. The last month saw an almost record-low peak player count for Overwatch, missing out by just a few thousand compared to its all-time low. You would think that after introducing a new character in late November, some excitement might be building up, but that hasn’t been the case.
If you look at other platforms like Xbox and PlayStation, things don’t look too rosy for our dear heroes. On Xbox’s most-played list, Marvel Rivals sits comfortably at number eight, a remarkable feat considering it’s one of the few newcomers not tied to sports or established franchises like Fortnite or Minecraft. Meanwhile, Overwatch? It lags at number nineteen! On PS5, things aren’t much better; while Marvel Rivals‘s popularity soars into the top ten rankings, we can’t even find Overwatch.
This doesn’t mean we should write off Overwatch; it’s been around for several years and has had its share of highs and lows. However, it seems clear that titles like Marvel Rivals, especially with its upcoming season featuring characters from The Fantastic Four launching soon, are setting up serious competition for Blizzard’s offerings, notably both “Diablo 4” and “Overwatch 2 “. The shift in player interest raises questions about how these games will co-exist moving forward.
