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

Overwatch 2 Season 15 has been well received, marking a shift in sentiment for what was once the most negatively reviewed game on Steam. Nearly nine years since the original Overwatch launched in 2016 and over two years since the release of Overwatch 2, the sequel faced major backlash following its transition to free-to-play in 2022, which effectively shut down the original game. By August 2023, Overwatch 2 held the unfortunate title of the worst user-reviewed game on Steam, largely due to dissatisfaction surrounding monetization strategies.

The game also faced criticism for cancelling its long-promised PvE Hero mode, a feature many players believed justified the existence of the sequel. Despite these setbacks, recent updates—especially the launch of Season 15—have led to a noticeable improvement in player perception.

While the overall Steam reviews remain ‘mostly negative,’ recent player feedback over the last 30 days has shifted to a ‘mixed’ rating, with 43% of the 5,325 reviews being positive. For a game that has struggled with overwhelmingly negative reception since its launch on the platform, this marks a meaningful turning point.

What’s New in Overwatch 2 Season 15?

Season 15 brought several impactful changes to Overwatch 2, reshaping both content and gameplay mechanics. While new heroes and modes are part of the ongoing roadmap, the core gameplay has seen a substantial overhaul, including the introduction of hero perks and the return of loot boxes—features welcomed by many longtime fans.

Overwatch 2 Season 15 Screenshots

9 Images

Positive player feedback is beginning to surface, reflecting renewed interest in the game. One reviewer noted, “They just released Overwatch 2. The recent update is what the game should always have been before corporate greed got in the way.” Another added, “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.”

Marvel Rivals and the Competitive Landscape

This resurgence comes amid the rise of Marvel Rivals, a hero shooter developed by NetEase that has gained over 40 million downloads since its December launch. In a recent interview with GamesRadar, Overwatch 2 director Aaron Keller acknowledged the evolving competitive environment.

“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 stated.

Despite the challenge, Keller described the situation as “exciting” and praised Marvel Rivals for taking Overwatch-inspired mechanics in a “different direction.” He also admitted that the success of Marvel Rivals has pushed Blizzard to rethink its approach to Overwatch 2, saying, “this is no longer about playing it safe.”

Is Overwatch 2 Making a Comeback?

While it's still too early to declare Overwatch fully back, the improvements introduced in Season 15 have certainly helped. There remains a fluctuation in user sentiment on Steam, suggesting that reaching a ‘positive’ review status may still be a distant goal. However, concurrent player numbers on Steam have nearly doubled to 60,000, indicating growing engagement.

It’s important to note that Overwatch 2 is also available via Battle.net, PlayStation, and Xbox, though player statistics for those platforms aren’t publicly disclosed. Meanwhile, Marvel Rivals recently recorded a peak of 305,816 concurrent players on Steam within the last 24 hours, showing the intense competition Overwatch faces moving forward.