Overwatch 2's Steam Reviews Shift from 'Worst' to 'Mixed'

Overwatch 2 Season 15 is making waves, signaling a positive shift in player sentiment around what was once dubbed the worst user-reviewed game on Steam. It's been nearly nine years since the original Overwatch debuted in 2016, and two-and-a-half years since Overwatch 2 launched. In August 2023, Overwatch 2 hit rock bottom with its user reviews on Steam, primarily due to backlash over its monetization strategy. Blizzard faced heavy criticism for converting the premium Overwatch into a free-to-play sequel, leaving the original game unplayable as of 2022.

The game faced further scrutiny with the cancellation of the much-anticipated PvE Hero mode, a feature many believed was the sole justification for the sequel. Despite still holding a 'mostly negative' overall rating on Steam, recent reviews for Overwatch 2 have shifted to 'mixed,' with 43% of the 5,325 reviews in the last 30 days being positive. This improvement, while modest, marks a significant milestone for a game that's been battling intense negativity since its Steam debut.

The launch of Season 15 has been a game-changer for Overwatch 2, introducing substantial updates to core gameplay, including hero perks and the return of beloved loot boxes. The roadmap promises new content, but it's the fundamental changes that have reignited player interest.

Overwatch 2 Season 15 Screenshots

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Positive reviews are praising the recent update, with one user stating, "They just released Overwatch 2. The recent update is what the game should always have been before corporate greed got in the way." Another review highlighted the game's improvement, saying, "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 to the game. A certain game made them LOCK IN and I couldn't be happier. Now we just gotta wait for next season with an actual cooler battlepass."

The "certain game" refers to Marvel Rivals, a similar competitive multiplayer hero shooter from NetEase, which has seen 40 million downloads since its December launch. In a recent interview with GamesRadar, Overwatch 2 director Aaron Keller discussed the competitive landscape, noting, "We're obviously in a new competitive landscape that I think, for Overwatch, we've never really been in before, to this extent where there's another game that's so similar to the one that we've created."

Keller found the situation "exciting" and appreciated how Marvel Rivals took ideas from Overwatch in a "different direction." He admitted that Marvel Rivals' success has pushed Blizzard to adopt a more daring approach with Overwatch 2, stating, "this is no longer about playing it safe."

While it's premature to say Overwatch is fully "back," the fluctuating Steam reviews suggest that reaching beyond a 'mixed' rating will be challenging. Nevertheless, Season 15 has boosted player numbers on Steam, with peak concurrent players nearly doubling to 60,000. It's important to note that Overwatch 2 is also available on Battle.net, PlayStation, and Xbox, though player numbers on these platforms are not publicly disclosed.

For comparison, Marvel Rivals, which recently released a mid-season update, achieved 305,816 peak concurrent players on Steam over the last 24 hours.