Overwatch 2 Season 15 is making waves, marking a turning point for a game that once held the unfortunate title of the worst user-reviewed game on Steam.
Nearly nine years after the original Overwatch launched in 2016, and over two-and-a-half years since the release of its sequel, Overwatch 2 has been on a rocky journey. In August 2023, it hit rock bottom, becoming the most negatively reviewed game on Steam. The backlash stemmed largely from Blizzard’s decision to transition the paid original game into a free-to-play model, effectively retiring the first game in the process. Further controversy followed, including the cancellation of the long-promised PvE Hero mode—a feature many players believed was the core justification for Overwatch 2’s existence.
Despite still carrying a “mostly negative” overall review rating on Steam, recent player sentiment has shifted. The last 30 days of reviews now reflect a “mixed” rating, with 43% of the 5,325 recent reviews being positive—an encouraging sign for a title that has faced relentless criticism since launch.
This shift is largely attributed to Season 15, which introduced sweeping changes to the core gameplay of Overwatch 2. While the content roadmap includes expected updates like new heroes and maps, the real transformation lies in gameplay mechanics. Season 15 brought back loot boxes and introduced hero perks—innovative additions that have reinvigorated the player base.
Overwatch 2 Season 15 Screenshots
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“The real Overwatch 2 just launched,” one recent positive review reads. “This update feels like the game it should’ve been from the start, before corporate decisions took over.”
Another player wrote, “I never thought I’d defend Overwatch, but they’ve genuinely improved. They’re bringing back the magic of Overwatch 1 while adding fresh, fun mechanics. With games like Marvel Rivals out there, they finally had to step up—and I’m here for it. Now let’s get a better battle pass next season.”
That reference points to Marvel Rivals, NetEase’s fast-rising hero shooter that has amassed over 40 million downloads since its December launch. The game’s success has undeniably impacted the competitive landscape.
In a recent interview with GamesRadar, Overwatch 2 director Aaron Keller acknowledged the new reality Blizzard now faces. “We’re in a competitive space we’ve never really experienced before—another game so similar to ours is thriving,” Keller said. Rather than seeing it as a threat, he described the situation as “exciting” and praised Marvel Rivals for taking Overwatch’s foundational ideas in a new direction.
Still, Keller admitted that Marvel Rivals’ popularity has shifted internal priorities at Blizzard. “This isn’t about playing it safe anymore,” he said. “We have to innovate, respond faster, and deliver what players want.”
While it’s too soon to declare Overwatch 2 fully redeemed, the momentum is undeniable. Season 15 has driven a notable spike in player activity 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, though Blizzard, Sony, and Microsoft do not disclose player data for those platforms.
For context, Marvel Rivals recently achieved a peak of 305,816 concurrent players on Steam within the last 24 hours—highlighting the scale of competition Blizzard now faces.
Still, the positive response to Season 15 proves that when Blizzard listens to its community and prioritizes gameplay over monetization, players notice—and return.
