Overwatch 2 player count is the highest it’s been since Steam launch

Overwatch 2 has recorded its highest player count on Steam since the game’s launch, with players citing the newly reworked Battle Pass system and other in-game changes as being the source of this resurgence.

Overwatch 2 went live in October 2022, the free-to-play sequel to the first Overwatch initially met with backlash and controversy at launch. In large part due to in-game bugs along with a greater emphasis on microtransactions.

However, Blizzard has been hard at work over the past year and a half to rectify these pain points, resulting in a larger number of players returning to the game.

So much so that Overwatch 2 has now recorded its highest player count on Steam since its initial launch on the platform in August of 2023.

According to SteamCharts, for the past 30 days, Overwatch 2 has recorded a peak player count of over 60,000. This is the first time the game has managed to hit a high of more than 60,000 since it first launched.

As well as this, Overwatch 2’s average player count for the past 30 days has been over 30,000. The first time the game has ever done so, the next highest being the month prior at 29,000. 

Across Reddit, Overwatch 2 players have been debating the reasons as to why the game has seen such an uptick these past few months. Of all the potential reasons for the increase, some OW fans noted that the major rework of the Battle Pass system has been a big win for the community of late.

One player noted how “removing that dumb hero locking behind the battle pass or challenges” largely encouraged them to jump back into the game. A sentiment that is shared amongst other players.

When Overwatch 2 first launched, the developers received major pushback when it was revealed that certain heroes would be locked behind the Battle Pass. Limiting the characters players could pick unless they were willing to cough up real money and pay to unlock them right away. This has since been changed, with OW2 returning more to its roots in regards to unlocking characters.

Furthermore, gamers also pointed out that the initial “mismanagement” of Overwatch 2 as it transitioned over to free-to-play was a big factor when looking at the massive dip in players.