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

Overwatch 2 Season 15 has sparked a notable turnaround in player sentiment, marking a significant improvement for a game that once held the dubious title of the worst user-reviewed game on Steam. Launched in 2016, the original Overwatch has now been succeeded by Overwatch 2, which debuted in 2023. The sequel faced intense backlash, particularly after it became the most negatively reviewed game on Steam in August 2023, largely due to criticisms over its monetization strategies. Blizzard's decision to update the premium original into a free-to-play sequel, which made the original Overwatch unplayable since 2022, fueled much of the discontent.

Overwatch 2 also weathered several controversies, including the cancellation of its much-anticipated PvE Hero mode, which many players believed was the key feature that justified the sequel's existence. Despite these setbacks, the game's user review rating on Steam has shifted from 'mostly negative' to 'mixed' for recent reviews, with 43% of the 5,325 reviews in the last 30 days being positive. This shift, while modest, represents a significant milestone for Overwatch 2, which has been battling overwhelming negativity since its launch on Valve's platform.

The positive change in sentiment coincides with the launch of Season 15, which introduced substantial updates to the game. These updates include new hero perks and the return of loot boxes, signifying a major overhaul to the core gameplay. The roadmap for Overwatch 2 continues to promise new content, aligning with player expectations.

Overwatch 2 Season 15 Screenshots

9 Images

Recent positive reviews reflect this change. One player remarked, "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."

This comment references Marvel Rivals, a competitive multiplayer hero shooter from NetEase that has garnered 40 million downloads since its December launch. In an interview with GamesRadar, Overwatch 2 director Aaron Keller acknowledged the new competitive landscape, noting that Marvel Rivals' similarity to Overwatch and its success have pushed Blizzard to adopt a more aggressive approach. Keller described the situation as "exciting" and praised Marvel Rivals for taking established ideas in a "different direction."

While it's premature to claim Overwatch 2 is fully "back," the fluctuating user reviews on Steam suggest that reaching beyond a 'mixed' rating will be challenging. Nonetheless, Season 15 has led to a significant increase in player numbers on Steam, with peak concurrent users nearly doubling to 60,000. It's important to remember 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, following its own mid-season update.