Back in 2016. Blizzardhistoric video game giant, releases its very first FPS. In a market dominated by Call of Duty and Battlefield, the Californian studio offers a colorful, inclusive hero-shooter, with a roster of charismatic characters and accessible, but demanding gameplay.
A real phenomenon
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The success of Overwatch is immediate and phenomenal. Seven million players in the first week, a figure that will explode to reach 50 million users in 2020. Overwatch becomes a reference and the characters become pop culture icons.
The Overwatch League, the official e-sports competition, attracts millions of spectators. Blizzard’s animated cutscenes rack up hundreds of millions of views. The game won “Game of the Year” at The Game Awards 2016. Overwatch is not just a game, it is a cultural phenomenon.
Behind this success Jeff Kaplan, the iconic game director, face of the game and direct link with the community. “Papa Jeff” embodies Overwatch. His Developer Updates on YouTube are awaited as events, he listens, he explains and reassures. The players trust him.
Then comes BlizzCon 2019
Blizzard announces Overwatch 2 during BlizzCon 2019. The room explodes, but very quickly, a question arises. Why make a sequel when the first game works perfectly and the player base is massive?
The central point of OW 2 will be le mode Player vs Environment (PvE). The cooperative mode, the story missions, the story of Overwatch finally told in depth. Talent trees to personalize each hero, progression, lore and cutscenes. This story mode with PvE is THE justification for the existence of Overwatch 2. Without it, it’s nothing more than an update in disguise, right? If the PVE lives up to its promises, Overwatch 2 can become something unique, a competitive hero-shooter coupled with a real narrative experience. The best of both worlds. The release date? Not yet known, but one thing is certain, the wait will be long, very long.
Ah well thank you Jeff…
On April 20, 2021, a terse statement on the official Overwatch blog explained that Jeff Kaplan leaves Blizzard after 19 years at the studio. No explanation, no details, just a polite farewell message and a sudden and mysterious departure.
For the community, it’s an electric shock. Jeff is not leaving Blizzard, Jeff abandons his game, in full development of Overwatch 2. Aaron Keller, 18-year Blizzard veteran and co-founder of the Overwatch team, takes over. At that time, Blizzard was going through a dark period with internal scandals, massive layoffs and an overall toxic climate within the studio. Kaplan’s departure joins a long list of iconic figures jumping ship. The development of Overwatch 2 is dragging on and while players are growing impatient, some are starting to doubt the quality of this next installment.
And the catastrophe arrives
On October 4, 2022, Overwatch 2 is finally released, replacing Overwatch 1, whose servers close permanently the day before. Players who had paid €40 to €60 for the first game no longer have a choice, It’s Overwatch 2 or nothing.
The problems start immediately. Endless queues, crashing servers, lost accounts, erased progress. But beyond the technical concerns, it is the economic model that is shocking. The move to free-to-play radically transforms the experience. Where Overwatch 1 offered a single purchase with all the heroes unlocked and free lootboxes, Overwatch 2 imposes a Battle Pass at €10 per season to access the new heroes. Legendary skins go to €19 each, mythical skins go up to €40.
Overwatch 1 players (me first) feel betrayed. The game that I came back to daily has literally been erased, replaced by a free-to-play game that requires more money each season. Worse still, new heroes are now locked at level 55 of the Battle Pass, requiring dozens of hours of grinding or paying to unlock them immediately. In Overwatch 1, all heroes were available for free from day one.
The 5v5 format also divides the community. Blizzard is removing one tank per team to break the shield meta that was stifling the game. But this decision creates more problems than it solves. The solo tank is under enormous pressure and becomes the automatic scapegoat for every defeat. No more second tanks to protect mobile DPS supports like Genji or Tracer. The gameplay becomes simpler, less tactical, with reduced synergies.
It’s hard to go any lower for Overwatch 2, right?
In May 2023, Aaron Keller and Executive Producer Jared Neuss host a livestream to talk about the future of Overwatch 2. They announce here that the PvE mode, the central point of this removal of our beloved Overwatch 1, is canceled. Not postponed, not reviewed or anything, just canceled. Everything that justified the existence of Overwatch 2 disappears. “ Lack of resources », « impossible to achieve Blizzard quality », They explain. Sources would later reveal that the decision had been made as early as December 2022, six months before the public announcement.
The community explodes with rage. On the forums, on Reddit, on Twitter, it’s a tsunami of anger. The words “scam”, “lie”, “betrayal” come up repeatedly in connection with this announcement, where Overwatch 2 no longer has any reason to exist.
Blizzard will eventually release “ Invasion », its replacement PvE mode. Three paid missions of 15 to 20 minutes each, or around an hour of content in total for €15. No talent trees, no progression, no replayability. Just three basic missions similar to Overwatch 1’s temporary events. Producer Jared Neuss confirms on Twitter that each future “chapter” will also cost €15. If Blizzard releases 20 chapters, the PVE will cost €300 in total. For a mode that was supposed to be included in the base game.
The same month, Overwatch 2 landed on Steam. The result is clear: 91% negative opinions out of more than 180,000 comments. The game becomes the lowest rated title on the entire Steam platform.
The Junkrats leave the ship
The numbers speak for themselves. In October 2022, Overwatch 2 attracted 25 million players in ten days, peaking at 45 million monthly active users at the end of 2022. Three months later, in the first quarter of 2023, the game only had 27 million players. A loss of 18 million users in one quarter. As of mid-2023, Activision Blizzard officially acknowledges in its second quarter financial report “ declining player engagement and investment » sur Overwatch 2.
On Twitch, the audience is collapsing. From 400,000 viewers during the beta in 2022, the game increases to 1,200 viewers in August 2023. In December 2024, the peak of concurrent players on Steam falls to 16,919, its lowest level since launch on the platform.
On December 6, 2024, NetEase released Marvel Rivals, a free hero-shooter with Marvel superheroes. The game offers 6v6 like Overwatch 1, all heroes are free from launch and monetization is much less aggressive. The impact is immediate and devastating. Overwatch 2 concurrent connections on Steam drop from 51,000 to 17,500 in one week. 45% of active players migrate to Marvel Rivals. In December, Marvel Rivals rose to third place among the most played games on Steam while Overwatch 2 fell.
The reconquest operation with the spotlight of 2026
In a huge operation to celebrate its anniversary as well as those of its licenses, Blizzard has just shown its Overwatch spotlight.
First strong symbol, Overwatch 2 simply becomes Overwatch again. Blizzard abandons the figure that embodied all the broken promises. The game no longer speaks of “sequel”, but of “new era”. Semantics is not intended to be trivial. Aaron Keller explains it in the livestream: “ Overwatch is more than a number. It’s a living universe that continues to grow and bring together players from all over the world. This year marks a major turning point in our vision for the future of Overwatch. »
The most spectacular announcement to remember here, five new heroes are arriving on February 10, all at the same time, never seen before in the history of the game. Then an additional hero will arrive each season, for a total of ten characters in 2026. Domina, heiress to Vishkar Industries, joins the tanks with a kit based on photoformed screens and area control. Emre, a former Overwatch agent who moved to the Claw, brings a burst rifle and a lifestealing pistol. Mizuki, a member of the Hashimoto clan, heals with his hat which bounces between allies. Anran, wielder of fire, can be resurrected after dying in an explosion of flames. And finally there will be Jetpack Cat, the character the community has been waiting for for years who, as its name suggests, is a cat with a jetpack who can transport allies in flight.
Blizzard also promises its “ first fully connected annual story “. The “Reign of the Claw” arc will take place over six seasons, from February to the end of 2026, with a beginning, middle and end. Under the leadership of Vendetta, the Claw shakes up the world order while Overwatch struggles to fight. Players will see the story progress in real time through faction-driven in-game events, cutscenes, comics, and maps that visually evolve with the story. The “Conquest” event, available from Season 1, will ask players to choose their side every week for five weeks, with chests, skins and a legendary Echo model in the colors of the chosen faction.
The game will also benefit from the biggest interface overhaul in its history, with a new 3D lobby, a redesigned notification center and completely restructured navigation. Post-match hugs, featured in Overwatch 1, are making a return.
Overwatch will also be released on Switch 2 starting with Season 2 in spring 2026. The Overwatch Championship Series starts in Seoul and ends in China. And the Overwatch World Cup returns during BlizzCon 2026after years of absence. From February 10 to 23, a surprise collaboration with Sanrio will bring six Hello Kitty and Friends skins, including Juno as Hello Kitty, Kiriko as Cinnamoroll, and D.Va as My Melody.
Is this enough to win back players?
Spotlight 2026 is impressive on paper. Ten heroes in one year compared to two or three usually, a structured narrative arc, community events, a complete overhaul of the interface… Blizzard is pulling out all the stops. But after four years of broken promises, the community remains wary. On Reddit and on Twitter, reactions are divided. Some speak of “new chance”, others of “too little, too late”.
The canceled PvE remains an open wound. Blizzard doesn’t talk about it anymore, but players don’t forget. The central promise of Overwatch 2 has been betrayed, and no 2026 announcement really replaces it. Aggressive monetization also continues.
The 5v5 format is always divisive. Blizzard tested the return of 6v6 in December 2024 and players loved it. Players who left for Marvel Rivals won’t come back easily. Personally, I dream of a permanent Classic mode of the first Overwatch like Blizzard already did with World of Wacraft, but that doesn’t really seem to be on the agenda.
The last chance bet
Blizzard is playing for the survival of the franchise. Overwatch 1 was a cultural phenomenon. Overwatch 2 has become a symbol of failure, broken promises, and abusive monetization. Season 1 starts on February 10 and players will probably want to test the new features soon, but this time, we doubt that Overwatch will have a third chance in case of failure.
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