Overwatch 2: Surprising Revelation About Its Steam Ratings with Over 87,000 Reviews!

Highlights

Overwatch 2 has received overwhelmingly negative reviews on Steam, becoming the lowest-rated game ever and surpassing the previous record holder, War of the Three Kingdoms.

Blizzard is facing backlash from review bombers for their decision to charge customers the full price for the original Overwatch and then introduce a heavily monetized free-to-play version, Overwatch 2.

Numerous negative reviews highlight concerns about Overwatch 2's monetization strategies, such as the battle pass system, abandoned PvE content plans, and the reuse of cosmetic items from the first game. The extent to which these reviews will affect Blizzard's intentions of releasing more games on Steam is yet uncertain.

Content has been

Within just two days of its release on Valve's digital storefront, Overwatch 2 has become the lowest-rated Steam game ever, with over 87,000 negative reviews. Surprisingly, Blizzard's decision to bring Overwatch 2 to Steam came as a surprise to many fans, especially considering the company's longstanding commitment to its Battle.net platform for PC games. This move, however, is seen as a glimpse into the future, with Blizzard promising to release more of its PC games on Steam going forward.

It seems that a significant portion of Valve's userbase is not anticipating this event, as Overwatch 2 managed to obtain the unfortunate title of being the lowest-rated game ever released on Steam within just 48 hours. With a staggering number of over 87,000 overwhelmingly negative reviews, it easily surpassed the 29,000 user ratings received by the second worst-rated Steam game of all time, War of the Three Kingdoms, according to third-party tracker Steam250.

A significant portion of the ongoing review-bombing campaign appears to be driven by fan activism against Blizzard's decision to charge the full price for the original Overwatch and later introduce an aggressively monetized free-to-play version known as Overwatch 2. Critics argue that Overwatch 2, which replaced its predecessor after a six-year run, is essentially a more exploitative version of the original game. They express disappointment in Blizzard's choice to officially retire Overwatch 1 in October 2022, as part of their strategy to hasten the adoption of the sequel.

Even among negative Steam reviews of Overwatch 2 that do not reference the previous installment, many criticize the game's monetization practices, particularly its battle pass system, which they view as anti-consumer and detrimental to the overall experience. Additionally, some Steam users express dissatisfaction with Blizzard's abandoned plans for PvE content, while others condemn the recently announced roadmap for Overwatch 2 Season 6 and the inclusion of an old Spray cosmetic from the original game as a battle pass unlockable.

It is uncertain whether these events will affect Blizzard's plans to bring more of its games to Valve's storefront. This depends on the reasons behind the strategy shift that led to Overwatch 2 being released on Steam initially. If the goal was to make the game more accessible due to its free-to-play business model, which requires a large audience for maximum profitability, then Blizzard may not have many more Steam releases planned, as Hearthstone is currently the only other freemium PC game they support. However, it is also possible that Blizzard turned to Steam in anticipation of their sale to Microsoft, a company that has long had games available on Valve's platform. In this case, the negative reception of Overwatch 2 is unlikely to impact Blizzard's plans for Steam.

Overwatch 2 is currently available for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.

Source: Steam, Steam250