Overwatch 2's Steam Reviews Surge to 'Mixed' After Hitting Rock Bottom

Overwatch 2 Season 15 has been making waves, significantly uplifting the community's sentiment around a game that was once labeled as the worst ever user-reviewed on Steam. Launched nearly nine years after the original Overwatch debuted in 2016, and two-and-a-half years since Overwatch 2's launch, the sequel faced intense scrutiny, particularly in August 2023 when it hit rock bottom on Steam. The backlash primarily stemmed from Blizzard's monetization strategies, which included converting the premium Overwatch into a free-to-play sequel, leaving the original unplayable as of 2022.

The sequel also weathered storms over the cancellation of its long-awaited PvE Hero mode, a feature many believed justified the sequel's existence. Despite these setbacks, Overwatch 2 has shown signs of recovery. While the overall user review rating remains 'mostly negative' on Steam, recent reviews have shifted to 'mixed,' with 43% of the 5,325 user reviews in the last 30 days being positive. This shift, though modest, marks a notable turnaround for a game that has struggled with overwhelmingly negative feedback since its launch on Valve's platform.

The positive change is attributed to the launch of Season 15, which introduced significant gameplay overhauls, including hero perks and the return of loot boxes. These changes have resonated well with the community, as reflected in recent reviews. "They just released Overwatch 2," one user noted positively. "The recent update is what the game should always have been before corporate greed got in the way." Another reviewer defended the game, 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 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 latter comment references the competitive multiplayer hero shooter, Marvel Rivals, developed by NetEase, which has seen 40 million downloads since its December launch. In an interview with GamesRadar, Overwatch 2 director Aaron Keller acknowledged the new competitive landscape. "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 said. He described the situation as "exciting" and praised Marvel Rivals for taking Overwatch's ideas in a "different direction."

Keller also admitted that Marvel Rivals' success has prompted Blizzard to shift its approach with Overwatch 2, stating, "this is no longer about playing it safe." While it's premature to declare Overwatch 2's full recovery, the game's recent player numbers on Steam have nearly doubled to 60,000 peak concurrent players following Season 15's launch. It's important to note, however, that Overwatch 2 is also available on Battle.net, PlayStation, and Xbox, where player numbers are not publicly disclosed.

For comparison, Marvel Rivals recently achieved a peak of 305,816 concurrent players on Steam over the last 24 hours after its mid-season update. Despite the positive momentum, Overwatch 2's journey to improve its standing on Steam remains challenging, with user reviews showing a push and pull that suggests reaching beyond 'mixed' will be tough, no matter Blizzard's efforts.

Overwatch 2 Season 15 Screenshots

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