Overwatch’s Steam Player Surge Signals a Stunning Comeback

Blizzard Entertainment has just dropped a bombshell with the release of Overwatch Season 1. Yes, the “2” has been removed, and the franchise is back to square one. With that, the community has seen a surge in the Overwatch Steam Player Count, which surpassed the peak count for Hero Shooter fans' new obsession. According to SteamDB, Blizzard's title has peaked at 165,651 concurrent players in the last 24 hours, whereas your favourite shooter, Marvel Rivals, has barely touched 112k.

Let's be honest, the last couple of years have been pretty rough for Overwatch, and everyone said the title is apparently dead. Very few of them have expected Blizzard to pull this kind of redemption arc. Now, however, Blizzard seems to be back in the business. On that note, let's take a look at the Ow Player Count on Steam and what might be the reason for this comeback.

Overwatch's Steam Number Might Be A Wake-Up Call For NetEase

Once written off as “dead”, made its Ultimate comeback, yes, we're talking about Blizzard's epic redemption arc. Many Hero Shooter fans, including me, were frustrated with the company's approach towards the game. On the other hand, they even cancelled the PvE, crushing everyone's dream. So, something had to be done for the revival. Suddenly, one day, one Overwatch Spotlight changed everything as Aaron Keller (Game Director) announced Overwatch 2's rebranding to Overwatch. And rightly so, Overwatch Steam Player Count has beaten Marvel Rivals in the number game for the last 24 hours.

Not only that, but they also introduced five new Heroes: Jetpack Cat, Anran, Emre, Mizui, and Domina, followed by some classic mechanics and balance changes. Some might complain Marvel rivals player count has peaked over 640k+ concurrent users on Steam, while Blizzard's title is above. Well, to answer that, we must remember that the Overwatch Live Player Count on Steam is just the tip of the iceberg. OG players in the scene are still using Battle.net's application, and we haven't considered the numbers.

Oh, do check out the recent China-exclusive Overwatch x Naraka crossover.

Forget about the players, Overwatch's Twitch viewership has almost tripled compared to what Overwatch 2 used to be. On the other hand, NetEase is still struggling to implement a proper balance in-game; there's a meta-instability. And how can we forget the cheater issue? Therefore, one thing is confirmed: the rise in Overwatch Steam Player Count certainly raises concerns or more like a wake-up call for the NetEase devs.

Community Seems To Enjoy Overwatch's Comeback Arc

The veterans who left Overwatch for obvious reasons are definitely coming back, considering all the positive responses from the community. However, it all started when famous Overwatch Esports talent @imAVRL showcased the SteamDB graph, implying Marvel Rivals is falling behind in the number game for the last 24 hours.

On the other hand, another X user, @MERCYBOT, expressed their happiness and commented that they're not sure when the last time they enjoyed Overwatch so much.

With overwhelmingly positive responses around the community, Blizzard's very own Hero shooter is reclaiming its trust. It'll be interesting to see what the company do next to maintain such momentum in the long run.

If you've liked this piece so far, check out our coverage of the Overwatch 2 Tier list to solidify your picks for competitive matches.