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Marvel Rivals Launch Sees 40 Percent Decline In Overwatch 2 Players
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Marvel Rivals Launch Sees 40 Percent Decline In Overwatch 2 Players

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By  Sam Woods
Published Jan 30, 2025, 5:59AM EST

Sam Woods is TheGamers Senior Reporter. Hes been in games journalism since 2020 and has undertaken a variety of roles in that time. These have included roles such as SEO Editor, Managing Editor at DualShockers, and Global Head of Gaming, and he's also been seen on the BBC. He was promoted to the Senior Reporter position in 2025 following a series of high-quality reports and exclusives for TheGamer.

Since 2020, Sam has written over 2,500 articles and specializes in telling the stories of the people behind the games. Hes interviewed the biggest game directors, some of the industrys top talents, told the stories of how indie games came to be, and spoken to players about what really makes them tick. Hes also interviewed some of the worlds biggest musical artists to find out how the medium has inspired their work, and TV and Film actors about their roles in video game adaptations. He even hosted a PAX panel in 2021 and made a documentary in 2024 surrounding the creation of a Disney game.

Alongside this, Sam focuses on breaking news. He got the scoop on Perfect Darks cancellation, got context around some AI drama, and revealed how Lady Dimitrescus actress would love to step back into the characters giant shoes. These articles have been picked up by the biggest gaming sites, including IGN, GameSpot, and PC Gamer. He also loves to dive into the numbers behind the games.

Sams journey in games journalism has taken him all over the world. Hes covered Gamescom in Germany, Summer Game Fest in Los Angeles, and Tokyo Game Show in Japan, each on more than one occasion.

Hes been learning Japanese since 2024 with the intention of identifying and translating Japanese-language news and bringing it to English-language audiences first, something hes done countless times.

Sams first review was 2020s Battletoads reboot, and hes since reviewed games in The Legend of Zelda, Super Mario, and Pokemon franchises.

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This article is part of a directory: Marvel Rivals: Complete Guide

Table of contents

Current Active Battle Pass And Seasonal Events
Current Active Battle Pass And Seasonal Events
Seasonal Battle Pass
Seasonal Battle Pass Season One Battle Pass
Ongoing Events
Ongoing Events Midnight Features 2
Expired Events
Expired Events Entangled Moments Winter Celebration Midnight Features Fortune And Colors
Getting Started
Getting Started Is Marvel Rivals Worth Playing? All Free Skins And How To Obtain Them
Beginner Guides
Beginner Guides Beginner Tips PSA: Always Aim To The Right Of Your Opponent Communication Guide Best Settings Character Roles, Explained Team-Up Abilities, Explained Match Types, Explained Competitive Mode And Ranks, Explained SVP, Explained Ace, Explained Assists, Explained Cosmic Selection, Explained Season Bonuses, Explained NGP Membership, Explained Rank Reset, Explained Streaming Mode, Explained
Doom Match Mode, Explained
Doom Match Mode, Explained Best Heroes For Doom Match
Clash Of Dancing Lions Mode, Explained Practice Mode Guide Multiplayer Guide All Currencies And How To Use Them Achievement/Trophy Guide
How-To Guides
How-To Guides How To Get XP How To Use Sprays How To Use Emotes How To Turn Off Easy Swing How To Mute Players How To Get Peni Parkers Free Venom Skin How To Save Highlights How To Get Better Ping How To Match Mouse Sensitivity To Other Shooters How To Customize Crosshair How To Turn Off Mouse Acceleration How To Leave Faction How To Surrender A Match How To Change Your Name How To Fix FPS Stuttering How To Fix The 99 Percent Loading Bug On PC How To Improve Your Positioning
Hero Guides
Hero Guides
Vanguards
Vanguards Pro Tips To Play Vanguard
Groot
Groot How To Counter Groot
Doctor Strange
Doctor Strange How To Counter Doctor Strange
Venom
Venom How To Counter Venom
Thor
Thor How To Counter Thor
Magneto
Magneto How To Counter Magneto
Peni Parker
Peni Parker How To Counter Peni Parker
Hulk
Hulk How To Counter The Hulk
Captain America
Captain America How To Counter Captain America
Duelists
Duelists Pro Tips To Play Duelist
Scarlet Witch
Scarlet Witch How To Counter Scarlet Witch
Spider-Man
Spider-Man How To Counter Spider-Man
The Punisher
The Punisher How To Counter Punisher
Magik
Magik How To Counter Magik
Iron Man
Iron Man How To Counter Iron Man
Hela
Hela How To Counter Hela
Black Panther
Black Panther How To Counter Black Panther
Namor
Namor How To Counter Namor
Star-Lord
Star-Lord How To Counter Star-Lord
Squirrel Girl
Squirrel Girl How To Counter Squirrel Girl
Black Widow
Black Widow How To Counter Black Widow
Storm
Storm How To Counter Storm
Psylocke
Psylocke How To Counter Psylocke
Moon Knight
Moon Knight How To Counter Moon Knight
Wolverine
Wolverine How To Counter Wolverine
Hawkeye
Hawkeye How To Counter Hawkeye
Iron Fist
Winter Soldier
Winter Soldier How To Counter Winter Soldier
Mister Fantastic
Mister Fantastic How To Counter Mister Fantastic
Mister Fantastic
Strategists
Strategists Pro Tips To Play Strategist Jeff The Land Shark
Luna Snow
Luna Snow How To Counter Luna Snow
Rocket Raccoon
Rocket Raccoon How To Counter Rocket Raccoon
Adam Warlock
Adam Warlock How To Counter Adam Warlock
Loki
Loki How To Counter Loki
Mantis
Mantis How To Counter Mantis
Cloak And Dagger
Cloak And Dagger How To Counter Cloak And Dagger
Invisible Woman
Invisible Woman How To Counter Invisible Woman
Lists
Lists Best Characters For Beginners
Hero Tier List
Hero Tier List All Overwatch Hero Counterparts
Best Vanguard Heroes
Best Vanguard Heroes Best Tank Characters For Overwatch Players
Best Duelist Heroes
Best Strategist Heroes
Best Strategist Heroes Best Healer Characters For Overwatch Players
Best Team-Up Hero Combos
Best Team-Up Hero Combos Best Team Compositions
Best Ultimate Abilities, Ranked
Best Ultimate Abilities, Ranked Best Ultimate Combinations Most Satisfying Ultimates Best Ultimate Voice Lines
Every Hitscan Character, Ranked Every Melee Hero, Ranked Every Team-Up Ability, Ranked Every Map, Ranked Every MCU Skin, Ranked Best Quotes Hardest Characters To Play Easiest Characters To Play Best Characters To Play On Attack Best Characters To Play On Defense Best Characters To Play In Domination Mode The Best Solo Carry Heroes Which Marvel Rivals Hero Are You Based On Your Zodiac Sign? Best Easter Eggs And Hidden Details In Marvel Rivals Heroes We Would Love To See In Marvel Rivals Iconic Costumes We Need In Marvel Rivals Locations We Want To See In Marvel Rivals Games To Play If You Like Marvel Rivals
News And Features
News And Features Marvel Rivals Launch Trailer Confirms Wolverine, Squirrel Girl, And Black Widow Deadpool And Ghost Rider Lead Poll Asking Who Marvel Fans Want To See In Rivals Fortnite Is Reportedly Getting A Marvel Rivals Collaboration Marvel Rivals Devs Are Confident Their Game Wont Be Another Concord Marvel Rivals Confirms Battle Passes Won't Expire Peni Parker's Venom Skin Is Free For Marvel Rivals Players With PS Plus Marvel Rivals Launches With Six-Times More Players Than Overwatch 2 As Expected, Marvel Rivals Players Are Wiping Enemy Teams With Jeff's Ult Ten Million People Have Played Marvel Rivals During Its Launch Weekend Marvel Rivals Players Are Using Doctor Stranges Portals To Get Instant Kills Marvel Rivals Is Being Turned Into Splatoon For Christmas Marvel Rivals Is Flawed, But I Don't Care I Wish Live Service Games Would Stop Taking Back My Hard-Earned Currency Forget New Heroes, Marvel Rivals Needs To Implement Cross Progression Marvel Rivals Reaches A New Concurrent Player Count Record On Steam Marvel Rivals Has A Fan-Made Tracking Site That Lets You See How Good You Are Marvel Rivals Strategist Mains Are Instalocking Invisible Woman Out Of Spite Marvel Rivals Players Find Workaround To New Mod Ban With Custom Luffy Skin Someone Reached Grandmaster In Marvel Rivals Without Ever Dealing Damage Marvel Rivals Fans Want Faster Battle Pass Progression One Of The Most Popular Marvel Rivals Mods Turns Jeff Into Skibidi Toilet Marvel Rivals Reveals Football Mode For New Event... Just Like Overwatch I'm Only Playing Jeff In Marvel Rivals Overwatch 2s Player Count Has Dropped By Almost 40 Percent Since Marvel Rivals Launch Spider-Man And Wolverine Top List Of Characters Marvel Rivals Fans Hate Playing Against "Healers Aren't Saints" Tops Marvel Rivals Fans' Most Controversial Takes Marvel Rivals Doesn't Need To Be An Overwatch Killer Marvel Rivals Fans Say Map Variety Is Starting To Get "Stale" Iron Man, Magneto, And Super Sized Galacta Among Marvel Rivals First Funko Pops Doctor Strange's Portals Were An "Unprecedented" Challenge To Create, Reveals Marvel Rivals Dev Don't Expect PvE In Marvel Rivals Anytime Soon Marvel Rivals Players Are Holding In-Game Weddings With Mister Fantastic And Invisible Woman

Summary

  • Marvel Rivals is a huge success, retaining players better than other live-service titles.
  • Overwatch 2 has lost almost 40% of players since Rivals launched, facing challenges.
  • Marvel Rivals' impact on Overwatch 2 player count suggests a direct correlation.

Marvel Rivals has been an unequivocal success. The hero shooter launched with a staggeringly high player count, only to beat it a few weeks later when the game's first season dropped. It's also managed to retain those players better than every live-service title released in the last few years. The game has enough potential content for another 875 years, too, so don't expect it to slow down any time soon.

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Rivals' success has, though, unfortunately, caused a knock-on effect on what is arguably its biggest competitor, Overwatch 2, with the Blizzard-developed hero shooter seeing an almost 40 percent drop in players since Rivals launched.

Overwatch 2 Has Lost Almost 40 Percent Of Its Players In Under Two Months

A team of only Reinhardts in Overwatch 2's Classic mode [A team of only Reinhardts in Overwatch 2's Classic mode]

Using data from SteamDB, we found that in the three months leading up to Marvel Rivals' launch (September 5 to December 5), Overwatch 2 was enjoying an average player count of 33,738. In the seven or so weeks since Rivals was released, Overwatch 2's average player count has fallen to 20,565a 39 percent drop.

For parity, the average player count for Overwatch 2 for each of the three months we looked at was 34,813 (September 5 to October 4), 34,107 (October 5 to November 4), and 32,268 (November 5 to December 4), so it was clearly stable until Marvel Rivals launched.

While correlation does not always imply causation, the timing of the two instances at least indicates Marvel Rivals' launch had a significant impact on Overwatch 2's player count. Whether it caused the full 39 percent decrease, we'll never know, but there is a clear link.

Kiriko looking toward the camera, her eyes glowing blue. [Kiriko looking toward the camera, her eyes glowing blue.]

Overwatch 2 has always faced an uphill struggle since it launched in October 2022.

The game was revealed as a sequel to Overwatch, a title many considered as not needing a sequel, then completely changed its structure, switching to 5v5. Delays and complaints about the game's early battle passes meant it got off on further bad footing, and it never really recovered from there. Last November, the developers even attempted to bring back the classic look and modes of the original Overwatch, but that mode didn't move the dial.

With numbers continuing to decline, it will be interesting to see where Activision Blizzard goes from here.

overwatch-formerly-overwatch-2-s1-conquest-tag-page-cover-art-1.jpg [overwatch-formerly-overwatch-2-s1-conquest-tag-page-cover-art-1.jpg]
Like
Overwatch (Formerly Overwatch 2)
Shooter
FPS
MOBA
Multiplayer
Systems
Playstation Logo [Playstation Logo] Xbox-1 [Xbox-1] super greyscale 8-bit logo [super greyscale 8-bit logo] PC-1 [PC-1]
Released
August 10, 2023
overwatch-formerly-overwatch-2-press-image-1.jpg [overwatch-formerly-overwatch-2-press-image-1.jpg]
8 Images
overwatch-formerly-overwatch-2-press-image-1.jpg [overwatch-formerly-overwatch-2-press-image-1.jpg]
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Spider-Man And Wolverine Top List Of Characters Marvel Rivals Fans Hate Playing Against
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