By Sagar V. Mankar 
Since Marvel Rivals’ December 5th launch, Overwatch 2 has experienced a substantial decline in its Steam player base. The numbers tell a striking tale: Overwatch 2’s average monthly players dropped from around 35,000 in September 2024 to just under 20,000 by January 2025, representing a nearly 40% decrease. This decline is particularly noteworthy because Overwatch 2 had maintained stable numbers between 32,000 to 35,000 players in the months before Marvel Rivals’ release.
Marvel Rivals, on the other hand, has shown impressive performance metrics. The game reached a peak of 644,269 concurrent players during its first season launch in mid-January, securing the 14th position in Steam’s all-time highest concurrent player counts. This achievement puts it ahead of established titles like Apex Legends, Path of Exile 2, and GTA 5. The game has maintained a healthy average of about 308,258 players in January, which is more than 15 times Overwatch 2’s current player count.
This trend extends to streaming platforms as well. Overwatch 2’s peak viewership on Twitch has significantly decreased, while Marvel Rivals has seen a substantial increase. Many prominent Overwatch 2 streamers have shifted their focus to Marvel Rivals, further diminishing Overwatch 2’s visibility.
Popular streamer Ninja has weighed in on this situation, suggesting that Marvel Rivals’ success isn’t just a temporary trend. During his recent livestream, the streamer declared Overwatch “dead and gone” pointing to several key advantages that Marvel Rivals holds over its competitor. First, the game benefits from rapid content delivery, with new maps already in development. More importantly, it has access to Marvel’s vast universe of heroes, villains, and anti-heroes, providing a seemingly endless well of potential new characters. The developers also plan to introduce new heroes every six weeks, a more aggressive schedule than Overwatch 2’s bi-seasonal character releases.
One of Marvel Rivals’ key strengths lies in its content potential. While Overwatch 2 must create original characters and develop their abilities and lore from scratch, Marvel Rivals can draw from decades of established comic book content. This advantage allows for faster character development and implementation, potentially leading to a larger roster than Overwatch 2 within just a few years.
Ninja also compared the launches of the two games, describing Overwatch 2’s debut as “abysmal” and more akin to an update than a full sequel. He mentioned the much-anticipated PVE mode, which was ultimately canceled, as a significant disappointment for the gaming community.
The GOAT Ninja explains how Marvel Rivals
ended Overwatch #MarvelRivals pic.twitter.com/GuqI37eHIV— Zero (@zerowontmiss) January 29, 2025
However, it’s worth noting that Overwatch 2 still maintains a dedicated player base, with thousands of active daily users. The game is preparing for its Season 15 launch with major gameplay changes, showing that Blizzard continues to invest in the game’s future.
The coming months will be crucial in determining whether Overwatch 2 can recover its player base or if Ninja’s assessment of its future proves accurate.