Overwatch 2 Season 15: A Resurgence?

Overwatch 2, once holding the dubious title of Steam's worst-reviewed game, is experiencing a surprising resurgence thanks to Season 15. Nearly nine years after the original Overwatch's debut and two and a half years after Overwatch 2's launch, the game is showing signs of recovery. The initial negative reception, largely fueled by controversial monetization practices and the cancellation of the highly anticipated PvE Hero mode, led to a "mostly negative" user review rating on Steam.

However, Season 15 has shifted the tide. Recent reviews reveal a significant improvement, moving the overall rating to "mixed," with 43% of the 5,325 reviews from the past 30 days being positive. This positive shift is attributed to substantial gameplay changes introduced in Season 15, including the addition of hero perks and the return of loot boxes. Player comments reflect this change, with many praising the return to core mechanics reminiscent of the original Overwatch.

Overwatch 2 Season 15 Screenshots

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The rise of the competing title, Marvel Rivals, with its 40 million downloads since December, has also impacted Blizzard's approach to Overwatch 2. In an interview with GamesRadar, Overwatch 2 director Aaron Keller acknowledged the intensified competition, stating that Blizzard is no longer playing it safe. While Marvel Rivals boasts significantly higher concurrent player numbers on Steam (305,816 compared to Overwatch 2's nearly doubled peak of 60,000), the shift in player sentiment on Steam for Overwatch 2 indicates a potential turning point. It remains to be seen if this positive trend will continue, but Season 15 has undeniably injected new life into the game. It's important to note that these Steam numbers don't reflect the overall player base across all platforms (Battle.net, PlayStation, and Xbox).