Marvel Rivals, NetEase’s stab at a hero shooter starring Marvel’s iconic heroes, is doing exceptionally well a month after launch. It’s accumulated over 20 million players across PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S, and its second season starring the Fantastic Four is off to a strong start. The studio has plans to release new heroes every six weeks, has already put out some incredible skins, and is consistently integrating lore to keep the story progressing as we all push payloads and capture points. This is happening in stark contrast to Overwatch 2, which has seen steady decline even before the sequel launched without most of its promised features. As Marvel Rivals’ momentum grows, fans of Overwatch 2 are in their feelings about leaving behind what was once the biggest game in the world.
As a years-long Overwatch fan, I feel the same way. Overwatch 2 entered its 14th season in December, and I have barely touched it. I enjoyed what little time I spent with the new tank hero Hazard, but a whole new hero shooter that felt fresh was a few button presses away on my PlayStation 5. My friends are playing Marvel Rivals regularly and are excited to do so, rather than requiring the weeks or months of my begging to have them begrudgingly play Overwatch for an hour. This will probably be the first time I don’t finish a battle pass in Overwatch 2’s lifetime. But I can’t lie, I miss Overwatch’s heroes. Soldier: 76, Lifeweaver, and Sombra are still some of my favorite video game mains I’ve ever used, and I’m mourning the story mode that seemingly never will be.
Moving on to Marvel Rivals feels like an inevitability for many fans. Overwatch 2 has suffered after layoffs at Blizzard courtesy of Xbox saw the game recycling old content, and a graveyard of modes that were canned or never saw the light of day. In the face of Marvel Rivals’ success, Overwatch 2’s offerings feel even more paltry, and fans have taken notice.
The shift is palpable. While we can’t see concurrent players across all platforms, there are signs that Marvel Rivals is eclipsing Overwatch 2’s audience, such as the stark gap between the two in streaming numbers.
Overwatch 2 has work to do if it wants to reclaim this ground. Right now, Blizzard is testing a 6v6 format akin to the original game, which has some fans interested in a return to the series’ roots. But there’s still a fair bit of stink on Overwatch 2 after Blizzard failed to deliver the game it announced in 2019. Without a sense of forward momentum, Overwatch 2 feels stagnant, and lackluster skins and cosmetics aren’t enough to overtake Marvel Rivals. This has resulted in a lot of Overwatch fans in a weird limbo of not wanting to say goodbye but not having much reason to go back. Still, I can’t help but look at the Soldier: 76 statue on my shelf and feel like I’m grieving a long-time relationship.
Despite all my issues with Overwatch 2, on a strictly mechanical level I think it’s probably the better game. Heroes are more balanced, the map design is more consistent, and as divisive as it might be, I love having Role Queue in Overwatch 2, meaning I can guarantee there will be healers on my team. But that broken chaos has also been what has made Marvel Rivals feel fresh. If Overwatch 2’s future doesn’t include the promised PvE modes, I don’t know what the game’s future looks like. Hopefully, now that Marvel Rivals is breathing down its neck, Blizzard will have a promising update in the coming months.