Summary:

Overwatch’s successful relaunch had its all-time Steam player count broken, now sitting at a peak of over 165,000 concurrent players.

Overwatch rebranded from “Overwatch 2” back to “Overwatch” and revealed major changes to the game’s features, gameplay, and lore.

Season 1 also adds five new heroes and the new Hero Sub-Passies feature that allows players to explore more with how they play.

The very recent Overwatch relaunch had just done wonders for the game’s Steam player count. Blizzard’s hero shooter had its best day ever on Steam with over 165,000 concurrent players, setting a new peak. In fact, this new number is twice as high as the peak it set back when it launched in August 2023. Clearly, the reset from Overwatch 2 to just Overwatch worked, as players are jumping back in.

A Fresh Start For The Franchise

The big jump in Overwatch’s player numbers is highly likely due to the recent refresh Blizzard had given the game. First of all, they dropped the “2” from its name, going back to just Overwatch, and restarted the game at Season 1. This rebrand also came with huge changes to gameplay, features, and even the story. For example, it brings “The Reign of Talon,” a year-long story event that lets players dive deeper into the game’s lore.

Because of all these updates, a lot of old players came back to check out what’s new and improved. At the same time, newcomers decided to jump in and try Overwatch for the first time.

Growing Steam Numbers

The weekend before the relaunch, Overwatch player numbers were already growing on Steam, with nearly 70,000 concurrent players. However, those were easily beaten once Season 1 actually went live. The game passed 131,000 concurrent players and shot up to fourth place on Steam’s most-played charts. It even ranked above big titles like Apex Legends and Call of Duty.

Since Overwatch is also on Battle.net and consoles, players on those platforms aren’t included in this number yet. That means the real total player count is probably a lot higher.

Overwatch is also slowly receiving better feedback, getting around 1,500 positive reviews over the past week. It had 430 negative ones in comparison. Its overall rating is still “mostly negative” at 26%, but the recent reviews at least suggest that more people are viewing the game positively.

What’s New in Season 1

Among the many things coming in Season 1, most of the hype surrounds the five new heroes introduced by Blizzard. There’s actually ten heroes releasing this season, and these five are just the first ones to get added. Here are each one’s name and role:

Domina – Tank
Emre – Damage
Mizuki – Support
Anran – Damage
Jetpack Cat – Support

Season 1 also introduced Hero Sub-Passives, which let players choose extra perks for their characters. For example, tanks can reduce critical damage or become more resistant to knockbacks. Now, players have more control over how they strategize and play each match. Hero Gauntlet also received new Vendetta content and a Hero Builder feature for more customization.

Content and Rewards

Alongside the major changes, players can also expect a lot of rewards and events. This season, you can earn up to 75 free loot boxes and get epic or legendary cosmetics from them. There will also be new voice lines for heroes, weapon charms, and themed skins. For example, Echo gets legendary skins, while Mei will receive a Mythic skin much later.

As for the events, you can look forward to the upcoming Valentine’s event and a Hello Kitty and Friends collaboration.

Conclusion

After a rough stretch that included the canceled PvE mode and a shaky sequel launch, this relaunch feels like a fresh start. The Overwatch Steam numbers prove that players will return when Blizzard makes good updates. Now, Overwatch might finally keep this success going and earn back players’ trust.

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