I still remember those evenings when, after a long day of work, I would automatically launch Overwatch. Not to climb ranked, not to farm skins, just for the pleasure of playing most of the time in Arcade mode. It had become a habit, almost a comforting ritual. When I didn’t know what to play, it was always Blizzard’s hero shooter that I turned to. The game had this perfect alchemy between accessibility and strategic depth that grabbed me game after game in a colorful universe with endearing heroes.
And then, Blizzard decided to throw everything in the trash
The transition to Overwatch 2 was, let’s be honest, catastrophic. Not only did they remove the original game that we had paid for, but also the proposed sequel was objectively worse. The move from 6v6 to 5v5 was to the detriment of a large part of the community, the promises of PvE content evaporated and the free-to-play business model was so aggressive that it went directly against the essence of the game. I was furious, like millions of other players who saw their favorite game disappear overnight to be replaced by a degraded version.
I completely abandoned Overwatch 2 by deleting it from my hard drive and my mindlike something that had never happened, a bad dream. Each Blizzard announcement left me unmoved, convinced that the studio had definitely killed what was its golden goose.
The Spotlight that changed everything
I recently had the opportunity to visit Blizzard studios, all these Overwatch artworks and statues brought back vivid memories in me of all the moments spent on the game. Nostalgic for these moments, all it took was a flick of the button to push me to reinstall the game.
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And then, I have the Spotlight of the new season arrived. At first, I was obviously skeptical. How many times had Blizzard promised us great things before disappointing us? But something about this presentation was different. The developers seemed to have finally listened to the community. The removal of the “2” in the title was not just a marketing stunt, it was an admission that the initial project had failed and a commitment to return to basics to relaunch this license which clearly deserved better.
I decided to wait until the February 10 update to give him a chance.
A game finally in a healthy state
Overwatch has become again what it should never have stopped being: a fun, balanced and generous hero shooter. The five new heroes introduced this season are not only original, but above all really enjoyable to play. Everyone brings something fresh to the roster without completely unbalancing the meta. We feel that Blizzard has rediscovered this ability to create characters who have real differentiation in the gameplay. During my games this evening, one moment particularly struck me. Playing Reinhardt on Eichenwalde, an allied Jetpack Cat carried me above the building under the noses of our enemies, then dropped me directly on the point that was snatched while our other companions created a diversion. It was the first time in years that I was honestly laughing at Overwatcha turning point that threw me back into the game for good.
The most encouraging? Blizzard has announced that five more heroes will be arriving by the end of the year. Ten new characters in one year is unheard of since the game’s original launch. This shows that the studio has finally understood that the frequency of content is crucial to maintaining player interest. The future of the game seems assured, and it’s great to see that Blizzard is seriously getting back on track.
Gameplay adjustments are also there. The countless tweaks made have created a gaming environment where almost all heroes are viable. Gone are the days when certain picks were strictly forbidden if you wanted to have a chance of winning. The diversity of possible compositions makes each part unique.
The numbers speak for themselves
I’m clearly not the only one who came back. Overwatch just reached an all-time high of 165,651 concurrent players on Steam. To put that number into perspective, that’s a 120% increase over the previous record of around 75,000 players set in 2023. The game, which had been slowly tumbling down the rankings for months, has just made a resounding comeback.
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Overwatch® has reached 165,651 concurrent players on Steam for the first time (27.26% rating) https://t.co/mweF0xGemV
— SteamDB (@SteamDB) February 10, 2026
Of course, not everything is rosy. Recent reviews on Steam remain mixed. This suggests that some players come back out of curiosity, test the game and leave disappointed. The wounds inflicted by Overwatch 2 at launch run deep and confidence cannot be rebuilt in just a few players.
Regaining trust
This is precisely where the main challenge for Blizzard lies, transforming this massive influx of players into lasting commitment. But for the first time in a long time, I feel like Blizzard is on the right track. The developers seem to have understood that Overwatch should not be a project constantly evolving towards a hypothetical version 3.0, but simply an excellent hero shooter regularly updated.
I started playing regularly again, that comforting ritual of starting a game when I don’t know what to play is back and it feels good to get that feeling back. The servers are alive again, matchmaking times have decreased drastically, and above all, the general good-natured atmosphere seems to be back too.
A future finally reassuring
So yes, there remain gray areas. The recent controversy surrounding Anran’s voice and his comments on beauty standards in games have created a stir in the community. But honestly, after the storm the game has weathered, it will see more peripheral controversies like this without it taking a dramatic turn.
The game is fun, the games are balanced, the content arrives regularly. Let’s now hope that the devs start communicating better and that the roadmap is as clear as it is ambitious. Overwatch may not be back in the sense that it would instantly return to its former glory, but he’s definitely in the best condition he’s been in in years. If like me you abandoned it out of spite, now is the time to give it a second chance, you might be pleasantly surprised. The same goes for new players who can also benefit from the fact that the game is free.
In any case, I have found my comfort game again and I really hope that Blizzard will stay on the right course.
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