Overwatch 2 Season 15 has been well-received, marking a significant improvement in sentiment for a game that once held the title of the worst user-reviewed game on Steam. Since its debut in 2016 and the sequel's launch in 2022, Overwatch 2 faced intense scrutiny, particularly after becoming the worst-reviewed game on Steam in August 2023. The backlash was primarily due to its monetization strategies and the controversial decision to update the original Overwatch into a free-to-play sequel, making the original game unplayable.

Further controversies arose with the cancellation of the much-anticipated PvE Hero mode, which many players believed was the raison d'être for Overwatch 2. Despite maintaining a 'mostly negative' overall user review rating on Steam, recent reviews have shifted to 'mixed,' with 43% of the 5,325 reviews in the last 30 days being positive. This improvement is a notable achievement for a game that has faced relentless criticism since its release on Valve's platform.

The positive shift in sentiment can be attributed to the changes introduced in Season 15. This season brought significant updates to the core gameplay, including the addition of hero perks and the reintroduction of loot boxes. While the upcoming roadmap promises new content, these core changes have been pivotal in altering player perception.

Overwatch 2 Season 15 Screenshots

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Recent positive reviews reflect the sentiment that Season 15 has brought Overwatch 2 closer to its original vision. One review stated, "They just released Overwatch 2. The recent update is what the game should always have been before corporate greed got in the way." Another praised the game's direction, saying, "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 positive feedback is partly due to the competitive pressure from Marvel Rivals, a similar 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 this new competitive landscape, stating, "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 described the situation as "exciting" and praised Marvel Rivals for taking Overwatch's established ideas in a "different direction." He admitted that the success of Marvel Rivals has pushed Blizzard to adopt a less cautious approach with Overwatch 2, saying, "this is no longer about playing it safe."

While it's premature to declare Overwatch 2's full recovery, the game's Steam reviews show a push and pull, indicating the challenge in improving beyond a 'mixed' rating. However, Season 15 has led to an increase in player numbers on Steam, with peak concurrent players nearly doubling to 60,000. It's important to note that Overwatch 2 is also available on Battle.net, PlayStation, and Xbox, where player numbers are not publicly disclosed.

For comparison, Marvel Rivals, which recently released a mid-season update, reached a peak of 305,816 concurrent players on Steam in the last 24 hours.