The new Overwatch 2 season has only recently launched, but its expansion to a new platform is revealing quite a lot about the player base. OW 2 Steam Launch has been review bombed, and it has provided an even more accurate look at the player numbers. Between this and the data Blizzard has released, we’ve seen OW 2 dropping player numbers. Is this a big enough problem to spell trouble for the game?
According to a more recent interview, the developers aren’t concerned with the dropping OW 2 player numbers. However, they are definitely trending towards the bottom. Plus the game is officially the worst-reviewed title on Steam. Just how big of a problem is it facing though?
Source: Blizzard
Blizzard Respond to OW 2 Dropping Player Numbers
In a recent interview, Blizzard addressed the dropping OW 2 player numbers. They’ve said that the drop in player numbers is due to Overwatch 2 being a free game. They’ve said that players will drop in and out depending on what’s going on in-game. Players move around free games as much as they want, rather than sticking with one for a long time. How this explains it being officially the most hated game on the biggest PC gaming platform isn’t clear though.
Blizzard has said that they don’t see the player numbers as concerning. However, it’s difficult to see that the current numbers aren’t disappointing. The drop-off in players has been noticeable. Since the Steam launch has allowed players to see the active player number (at least on one platform), players can see how quickly it has dropped off since the season launch date. When combined with the clear player disapproval of the game right now, both its OW monetization and otherwise, there are some clear problems with Overwatch right now.
Will the Player Numbers Become a Bigger Problem?
The dwindling player numbers might be being sustained at a level that works for Overwatch. Some games have come back from major drops too, like Apex Legends. That title hit its current player peak only after dropping significantly from its all-time high. Although, Apex numbers are dropping again now.
The Overwatch 2 player numbers are worrying at the moment. Maybe more of a concern is the ongoing state of OWL, which with bribes being offered for teams to pull out doesn’t look likely to go ahead in its current form in future years.
Between PVE, player base dwindling, and the currently unknown status of the future of the OWL, the game doesn’t appear the healthiest right now. Blizzard is sticking with it. The real question at the moment might be for how much longer?
Is there a point in the decline of the player base that it does cause problems? We’ll have to see how things shake out with the future of Overwatch 2. Although, the recent PVE debacle has clearly shown that OW’s scope can definitely be narrowed significantly if the player base isn’t large enough to warrant a bigger project. It looks like the game will end up reaching the point where even the current level of support can’t be sustained, at least if nothing is done to correct course.
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