- Overwatch 2 has managed to exceed 50 million active players.
- The numbers indicate massive success despite the title’s overwhelmingly negative reviews.
- It also managed to make over $225 million in revenue despite being free-to-play.
The original Overwatch, released in 2016, was amongst the pioneers of the modern live service model. Featuring cosmetic unlocks, regular content updates, and more, this game quickly grew a massive fan following.
However, the same cannot be said for its sequel. Overwatch 2 has received thousands of negative reviews, failing to deliver the much hyped-up PvE content. Despite these failures, the game has been a major success, boasting 50 million active players.
Why it matters: Overwatch 2 was Steam’s second worst-rated game at one point. One would not expect such figures from this type of game, but the result proves that negativity does not doom a game, especially if it is free-to-play.
According to Sam Saliba, former vice president and head of global marketing for Overwatch, the game managed a whopping $225 million in revenue.
While the reviews seemingly tell a completely different narrative, the transition to a free-to-play model was a success overall. This figure also highlights the current influence of live service games.
Though Overwatch 2 is far from the biggest first-person shooter on the market, it still managed to rake in millions of dollars. Elsewhere, the game’s influence allowed it to climb the trending charts on popular search platforms like YouTube and Google, likely around the launch period.
Still, compared to its predecessor, Overwatch 2 has not found the same lasting appeal. The biggest complaint with the sequel was the fact that it made the original game inaccessible, replacing it instead of adding to it.
The sequel also focuses on individual skills, losing the prevalent charm of teamwork that many enjoyed.
Despite the impressive numbers, Overwatch 2 is much further behind Blizzard’s biggest franchises. Once the star of live service games, this series has now become more of a liability and has lost its shining crown.
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News Reporter
Abdullah is an avid gamer who primarily plays single-player titles. If you can’t find him anywhere, he’ll probably be at his desk playing The Witcher 3 for the millionth time. When he isn’t playing games, he’s either reading or writing about them.
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