Overwatch 2's player count dips to record lows prior to its new season

Marvel's competitive hero shooter Marvel Rivals debuted on December 6, and has become an instant hit thus far. In a field that has been dominated by Blizzard's Overwatch for nearly a decade, this multiplayer game featuring some of the planet's most popular heroes has provided a true alternative for now. 

According to numbers posted on SteamDB, Marvel Rivals peaked at a total player count of 480,990, and sits steady at over 350,000 players as of this writing. This doesn't factor in the player count across PlayStation and Xbox platforms, but if the metrics are as consistent on console, that bodes favorably. The launch saw a dip in the player count of Overwatch 2, seeing it drop to 43,000 players on the week starting on December 2nd. Season 14 of Overwatch 2 has kicked off December 10th with a new hero Hazard (a tank), it will be fascinating to see if there's any player retention or increase in numbers.

Developed by NetEase, Marvel Rivals features 33 current playable characters, and the producers have stated that there will be no purchasable gameplay elements (i.e. loot boxes and microtransactions). Skins, which would be a part of bundles or battle passes, and such would require pay.