Former Overwatch Players Allegedly Move to Competing Marvel Game

A recent report highlights a significant move among Overwatch 2 players in December 2024, where nearly half decided to switch over to Marvel Rivals. This revelation provides clarity on what many gamers had suspected: Marvel Rivals has been enticing players away from Blizzard’s renowned hero shooter.

Heading into December 2024, few games were as anticipated as Marvel Rivals. Sharing the team-based hero shooter genre with Overwatch 2 naturally drew comparisons between the two. However, NetEase carved a unique niche for Marvel Rivals by tapping into the vast appeal of the Marvel brand, showcasing comic characters in ways that resonated with their fanbase. The result was a stellar debut, attracting hundreds of thousands of new players across platforms such as Steam.

According to Insider Gaming, NewZoo’s latest industry report sheds light on the market impact Marvel Rivals had during its launch. Astonishingly, 45% of those departing Overwatch 2 found a new gaming home in Marvel Rivals. This influx contributed to the game’s impressive statistics, making it one of the most popular releases of the year. The report reveals that Marvel Rivals became the eighth most-played game on Steam in 2024. Furthermore, it ranked as the third top-played release from that year, trailing only behind Helldivers 2 and Palworld, both of which enjoyed earlier release dates, thus more time for play accumulation.

The success of Marvel Rivals has, understandably, come with a flip side for Overwatch 2. The NewZoo report not only celebrated Marvel Rivals’ success but also highlighted Overwatch 2’s downturn in player numbers. Over the year, Overwatch 2 saw an 8% slip in contributions from its free-to-play model, coupled with a 26% drop in daily active users despite hosting nostalgia-driven events like the Overwatch Classic. Intriguingly, Marvel Rivals launched just a few days after this event concluded.

Looking forward to 2025, Marvel Rivals faces the challenge of maintaining its momentum. Having substantially bolstered the ranks of free-to-play gaming by the close of 2024, its sustained popularity is far from guaranteed. However, with NetEase gearing up for Season 2 and committing to more frequent hero releases, there’s hope to keep its vibrant player community engaged. Whether these strategies will see it retain a top spot in player engagement charts throughout the year remains to be seen.