Overwatch 2 Season 15 revitalizes the game, significantly improving player sentiment and marking a turning point from its historically low Steam user reviews. Initially, in August 2023, it held the unfortunate title of Steam's worst-reviewed game, largely due to controversies surrounding monetization and the controversial shift from a premium title to a free-to-play model, rendering the original Overwatch unplayable. Further fueling negative feedback was the cancellation of the highly anticipated PvE Hero mode.

Despite still holding a "mostly negative" overall rating, recent reviews reveal a shift towards "mixed," with 43% of the 5,325 reviews from the past 30 days being positive. This positive shift is largely attributed to Season 15's significant changes, including the introduction of hero perks and the return of loot boxes. These core gameplay alterations have resonated positively with players.

Overwatch 2 Season 15 Screenshots

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Positive player feedback highlights the impact of these changes, with comments such as, "They just released Overwatch 2," and "The recent update is what the game should always have been before corporate greed got in the way." Another player stated, "For once, I must come to Overwatch's defense...Going back to what worked in Overwatch 1 while introducing new and fun mechanics."

The rise of the competitive hero shooter, Marvel Rivals (with 40 million downloads since December), has created a more competitive gaming landscape. Overwatch 2 director Aaron Keller acknowledged this new reality, stating that the success of Marvel Rivals has spurred a shift within Blizzard, moving away from a "playing it safe" approach.

While it's premature to declare Overwatch's complete resurgence, the positive impact of Season 15 is undeniable. Steam player numbers have nearly doubled, reaching 60,000 peak concurrent players. It's important to note that these figures only represent the Steam player base; overall player counts across all platforms (Battle.net, PlayStation, and Xbox) remain undisclosed. In contrast, Marvel Rivals boasts a significantly larger concurrent player count on Steam (305,816 in the last 24 hours). The future of Overwatch 2's reception remains uncertain, but Season 15's impact is a clear indication of a positive trajectory.