Overwatch is considered to be one of the greatest games ever made, and it was a major catalyst to the growth of the booming eSports sector as well. In the first year of release in 2016, the Blizzard Entertainment title earned more than $1 billion and went on to attract over 50 million players. But is the game’s popularity starting to diminish? Some players may be concerned that the rise of other games like Fortnite has had a negative effect on Overwatch.
How Many People Still Play Overwatch?
Many gamers have wondered in recent times, is Overwatch dying? According to the figures, the numbers certainly have dropped off since they were at their peak around 2018 and 2019. At one point there were 50 million people playing Overwatch on a monthly basis, and this plummeted down to 10 million in 2020. This is a major drop-off, but it definitely doesn’t suggest that the game is dying. These are still hugely impressive playing figures.
To put that into perspective, there are only 22.5 million people playing Fortnite on a daily basis. The Epic Games title is considered to be one of the most popular eSports around, so this highlights that Overwatch is still relevant. Fortnite took the world by storm when it was initially released, but it may not be as sustainable as Overwatch has been, judging by these numbers.
Overwatch 2 Could Bring a Lot of Players Back
The title from Blizzard Entertainment is about to get a significant boost in the near future, with the release of the hotly anticipated sequel, Overwatch 2. This could help to put it right back near the top of the leaderboard when it comes to the most popular eSports on the planet.
The new game was announced in 2019, and it has a number of highly exciting features. It will be using a shared multiplayer environment with the original, meaning that players of both games will be able to meet in the same settings. This also means that Overwatch players will retain all their skins and upgrades within the new title.
Overwatch 2 could serve to revitalise the game, as it will doubtlessly encourage some of the players who left to return. The fact that there is cross-compatibility between the two titles means that even those who don’t want to buy the new one yet can still play against these people.
The updated version could also bring about a new way of playing that could shake up the standings in the eSports scene. The Overwatch League is played all over the world, and this new addition could lure more players and viewers to the events.
There is evidence to say that Overwatch’s popularity has diminished since it hit its peak. However, the number of players is still incredibly high, highlighting its enduring success. When Overwatch 2 is released, these numbers are likely to shoot right up again.
