Overwatch 2 Suffers Huge Drop in Twitch Viewership After Marvel Rivals Launch
[summaraize]
In December 2024, Marvel Rivals officially launched, offering a free-to-play experience where players engage in player-versus-player matches featuring iconic Marvel characters. The game quickly became a big success, gaining attention from players and growing in popularity across platforms like Twitch.
One of the major reasons Marvel Rivals has managed to pull ahead of Overwatch 2 is by addressing the frustrations that Blizzard hasn’t resolved. Fans of Overwatch 2 have long voiced concerns over missteps like controversial updates and unfulfilled promises. Meanwhile, Marvel Rivals capitalized on this by delivering a smoother experience and reintroducing the classic 6v6 gameplay format that many Overwatch players missed.
Overwatch 2 Seems to Be Losing Popularity After Marvel Rivals’ Release
This rise in popularity for Marvel Rivals has taken a toll on Overwatch 2, which has seen a noticeable drop in viewership. According to SteamCharts, Overwatch 2 peaked at only 64,970 viewers in the past 30 days, a big decline from its peak of 125,279 viewers in November 2024.
The difference is even clearer when looking at Marvel Rivals, which peaked at 275,521 viewers during the same period. In the last seven days, Marvel Rivals reached 140,039 viewers at its peak, while Overwatch 2 only managed to hit 23,260 viewers.
The difference becomes even more noticeable when comparing Marvel Rivals, which peaked at an impressive 275,521 viewers during the same period. Over the past seven days, the gap has become significantly larger, with Marvel Rivals reaching a peak of 140,039 viewers, while Overwatch 2 managed only 23,260 viewers at its highest point.
Adding to Blizzard’s challenges, many prominent Overwatch 2 streamers have shifted to streaming Marvel Rivals instead, which has further hurt the game’s visibility. For example, at the time of writing, Marvel Rivals has 60.3K viewers on Twitch, while Overwatch 2 trails significantly with just 8.6K viewers.
The outlook for Overwatch 2 could worsen as Marvel Rivals prepares to launch its first season on January 10, introducing the Fantastic Four as new playable characters.
These developments raise the question of how Blizzard will respond to regain its players’ interest as Marvel Rivals keeps growing quickly.
More MP1st Reading:
- Report: Marvel Rivals Bots Are Snuck in by NetEase in Quick Match to Ensure a Win After Multiple Losses in a Row
- Former Blizzard President Wanted to Reduce Diablo 4 Microtransactions and Reboot Overwatch
- Former Blizzard President Calls Marvel Rivals an Overwatch Copycat, Cites Black Widow as a Lift of Widowmaker
Stay connected to MP1st and the latest news by following us on Bluesky, X, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, and Google News.
