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

Overwatch 2 Season 15 has been a breath of fresh air for the game, significantly improving player sentiment around what was once dubbed the worst user-reviewed game on Steam. Launched back in 2016, the original Overwatch has now been out for nearly nine years, with Overwatch 2 following suit two and a half years ago. The sequel faced severe backlash in August 2023 when it became the lowest-rated game on Steam due to contentious monetization practices. Players were particularly upset after Blizzard forced the premium Overwatch to transition into a free-to-play sequel, making the original game unplayable since 2022.

Overwatch 2 has weathered several storms, including the controversial cancellation of the much-anticipated PvE Hero mode, which many felt was the cornerstone of the sequel's value. Despite these challenges, the game's user review rating on Steam has begun to shift from 'mostly negative' to 'mixed,' with 43% of the 5,325 reviews in the last 30 days being positive. This shift, though modest, marks a significant milestone for a game that has faced relentless criticism since its launch on Valve’s platform.

The turnaround can be attributed to Season 15, which introduced substantial changes to the game's core mechanics, including hero perks and the return of beloved loot boxes. The roadmap for future content looks promising, but it's the immediate gameplay enhancements that have caught players' attention.

Overwatch 2 Season 15 Screenshots

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Recent positive reviews reflect the community's newfound appreciation: "They just released Overwatch 2," one player noted. "The recent update is what the game should always have been before corporate greed got in the way." Another review praised the developers, 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."

This sentiment is likely a nod to Marvel Rivals, NetEase's competitive multiplayer hero shooter, which has garnered 40 million downloads since its December launch. In a recent interview with GamesRadar, Overwatch 2 director Aaron Keller discussed the impact of Marvel Rivals on Blizzard’s approach. "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 remarked.

Despite the competition, Keller found the situation "exciting" and appreciated how Marvel Rivals took Overwatch's established ideas in a "different direction." He also admitted that Marvel Rivals’ success had prompted Blizzard to adopt a more aggressive stance with Overwatch 2, stating, "this is no longer about playing it safe."

While it's premature to say Overwatch is "back," the fluctuating Steam reviews indicate a challenging road ahead for Blizzard to surpass the 'mixed' rating. Nevertheless, Season 15 has seen a notable increase in player engagement, with peak concurrent players on Steam almost doubling to 60,000. It's important to note that Overwatch 2 is also available on Battle.net, PlayStation, and Xbox, and player numbers for these platforms are not publicly disclosed.

For comparison, Marvel Rivals recently updated mid-season and achieved a peak of 305,816 concurrent players on Steam in the last 24 hours.