Overwatch Just Did Something It Hasn’t Done Since 2022

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The newest season of Overwatch, called Reign of Talon, has seen a surprising jump in players. For the first time in over two years, more people played the game in its second week than in its first. Overwatch was initially a huge success, even winning Game of the Year awards, and after more than a decade, it looks like the game is experiencing a resurgence thanks to this latest update.

Facing growing competition from games like Marvel Rivals, Blizzard responded by significantly revitalizing Overwatch. They relaunched the game – dropping the ‘2’ from the title and making substantial changes – which ultimately led to Overwatch surpassing Marvel Rivals in the number of players. The recent ‘Reign of Talon’ update has already added five new characters, yearly story arcs, and numerous gameplay improvements, establishing a more consistent and sustainable future for the game.

Overwatch Achieves Higher Daily Player Count Than Its Launch Weekend

Image via Blizzard

After a successful return, Overwatch is now more popular than it was at its original launch! The last time the game saw this many daily players was with the release of Overwatch 2 in 2022, before other competitive games like Marvel Rivals appeared. This surge in popularity, even with strong competition, proves how much players are enjoying the new Reign of Talon season. This season is the start of a larger story arc planned to unfold throughout 2026.

The season’s success is largely due to its new heroes, which players are calling exciting, energetic, and a welcome change. Jetpack Cat, in particular, has quickly become a fan favorite – players find the hero both funny and surprisingly effective. Alongside Jetpack Cat are Mizuki, a powerful warrior from a clan competing with Hanzo and Genji’s; Emre, a former comrade of Soldier 76 and Ana; Domina, an assistant from the Talon organization; and Anran, a new member of Overwatch.

Recently, the character Vendetta has become the leader of Talon, a criminal organization that has now seized control of Overwatch. The first hint of this new storyline appeared when Talon seemingly took over Overwatch’s official social media accounts, but the direction this narrative will take remains to be seen.

After a strong relaunch, Overwatch is maintaining momentum with ongoing new content and a developing storyline. Players are pleased with how the developers are rebuilding the game and are responding to feedback – like when they redesigned a character after hearing concerns. This positive relationship with the community is strengthened by regular updates and free gifts from Blizzard, making the game’s future look promising. Overwatch’s plans show no signs of slowing down, and it would likely take a massive hit like Marvel Rivals to knock it off the top spot as the leading hero-shooter.

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2026-02-25 08:04