For almost a decade, Overwatch had a monopoly on the hero shooter genre. It may not have created the genre, but Overwatch did popularize it for a new generation of players, with its distinct blend of high-budget presentation, rewarding team-oriented gameplay, and colorful cast of characters keeping it in the public consciousness. There have been plenty of competitors who have come for the throne over the years, but few have managed to put up a real fight. That is, until Marvel Rivals.
Making its debut last December, Marvel Rivals was an overnight smash success, capitalizing on its use of IP expertly. Though its player-count has been steadily declining over the last eight months, Marvel Rivals is still pulling in around 100,000 players a day on Steam alone, which is higher than Overwatch 2's all-time peak player-count (75,608) on the same platform, according to SteamDB. The competition between these hero shooters is still fierce however, and while Overwatch will never be able to outdo Marvel Rivals in one area, it could beat it to the punch in another.
Overwatch 2: Best Support Stadium Builds
If you're jumping into Overwatch Stadium in the Support role, this small collection of some of the best builds will get you started.
Overwatch 2 Might Be Able to Beat Marvel Rivals to The Punch In One Way
Overwatch 2 Can't Compete With Marvel Rivals' Hero Output
Since its launch last December, Marvel Rivals has added six new playable heroes, with four arriving in its first season, and another two hitting the hero shooter in its second. From here on out, Marvel Rivals will be bringing one new hero to the game every month. Marvel Rivals Season 3, for instance, is releasing in just a few days' time, and it'll add Jean Grey/Phoenix to the roster off the bat and Blade during the mid-season refresh.
By the end of Season 3, Marvel Rivals will have 41 playable heroes. That means by August 2025, Marvel Rivals will have just two fewer heroes than Overwatch 2, something it'll have achieved in a fraction of the time. Though Overwatch 2 is still receiving new heroes consistently, it's at a much slower rate, with one new hero being added every four months or so.
It seems very unlikely that Overwatch 2 will pivot to releasing heroes at a faster rate, so at least for now, it's one large area where Marvel Rivals has the clear advantage.
Overwatch 2 Could Offer Something Marvel Rivals Is Only Thinking About
In a recent VideoGamer interview with Marvel Rivals director Guangyun Chen, the idea of fans voting on new playable heroes was floated. The director said the development team already takes current unofficial fan votes into account when determining who should appear next in Marvel Rivals, and that there's a possibility an official fan vote could arrive in the future.
Blizzard could beat NetEase to the punch here. While Overwatch 2's next hero, Wuyang, has already been confirmed, Blizzard could give fans the option to vote on the hero after them. Fans could be presented with three potential concepts a few seasons in advance, giving the developers plenty of time to create the hero. This could go a long way in bolstering Overwatch 2's sense of community, and keep the current player-base invested for at least a few months while they wait to see their chosen hero come to life.
Overwatch 2 isn't going to beat Marvel Rivals when it comes to hero output, but it could start to make its hero drops matter just a little bit more.
Overwatch 2
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 77 /100 Critics Rec: 65%
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
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