Overwatch isn't dying…yet. But a couple of new heroes won't save it

If you heard that Overwatch is dying and will be discontinued, that’s probably not the case! But Overwatch doesn’t command the same position it once did.

Some still believe that Overwatch may make a comeback, given the market share it once enjoyed. But for that, it has to do a lot more than introduce a few new heroes or release minor updates. The game needs a complete overhaul!

Overwatch’s popularity declined over the years

Recent reports suggest that the once top-rated first-person shooter game has had a massive decline in user base over the years. At its peak, Overwatch had more than 40 million users worldwide. As for Overwatch 2, 25 million players played the sequel within the first 10 days.

But Overwatch 2 was never as big a success as the original, Overwatch. During the years before the release of the former, the developers were more focused on it and never introduced any significant changes in the latter. In that period, a large chunk of users switched to other games.

Even with Overwatch 2, things never looked that hopeful. The lack of engaging content, the absence of a new hero, no upgrades to graphics, and the persistent bugs triggered a massive decline in the user base.

The lawsuit for workspace misconduct also acted as a catalyst in driving both players and investors away.

In a bid to retain the existing players and attract new ones, Blizzard introduced PvE in Overwatch 2, but it was never a big hit. The failure can be attributed to the $15 paywall, though it was a measure by Blizzard to recover some of the losses.

Overwatch can still make a comeback

Fast forward to 2024, Microsoft took over Activision Blizzard, and rumours of the game being shelved were put to rest. However, Overwatch 2’s user base continues to decline by the day, and gamers have been highlighting a wide array of flaws in the game.

But it’s still far from dead!

When we talked to a few experts, they were of the opinion that if the developers can come up with a new and engaging story, it might invigorate the seemingly dead Overwatch community.

Now that Microsoft is in charge, things are somewhat hopeful, but not too much!

The recent update to season 9 of Blizzard 2 does look promising. Better matchmaking, introducing the Champion rank, and other changes are a good move. But we have yet to see how the community reacts to it.

Based on the common opinion, the developers need to implement a complete overhaul for Overwatch 2 to command the market share it once enjoyed. Until that’s done, they are not getting back the lost user base!

If such changes are not introduced, Overwatch will remain relevant for another 2-5 years and will then slowly become obsolete before being shelved altogether.

Do you believe Overwatch 2 could make a comeback? Let us know in the comments section.