Towards the end of last year, Overwatch 2 faced new competition in the hero shooter genre with the launch of NetEase`s Marvel Rivals. Several new features introduced in Overwatch 2, such as the recently unveiled third-person Stadium mode, have led to comparisons with Marvel Rivals. However, Overwatch 2 director Aaron Keller asserts that Stadium mode and other new elements were not developed in direct response to Marvel Rivals. Instead, he claims many of these additions were already in the planning stages prior to Marvel Rivals` debut.
“I believe competition is beneficial,” Keller commented during a guest appearance on Jay3`s stream. “It encourages innovation and pushes developers to always deliver their best work, but I don`t think the current changes in Overwatch 2 are a reaction to Marvel Rivals.” He elaborated that much of the content for the current year—including perks, Stadium mode, map voting, and full hero bans, along with all the new heroes being released—has been under development for over a year. This aligns with a new overarching strategy for the game, aiming for a significant annual kickoff.
Keller hinted at the possibility of future additions to Overwatch 2 if the competitive landscape between the games persists, though he did not provide specific details. In the same stream, he acknowledged that Overwatch 2 has offered less in terms of story content, cinematics, and animated shorts compared to the original game, which were crucial in building its world. Nevertheless, Keller expressed a strong desire to prioritize narrative elements more heavily in future updates.
The current Overwatch 2 x G.I. Joe collaboration began earlier this month and concludes today, July 14th. Past collaborations have featured costumes inspired by Transformers, Street Fighter, and Avatar: The Last Airbender. Overwatch Season 17 is currently live.
Images showcasing various elements from Overwatch 2, including battle pass rewards:
