Overwatch’s major overhaul drew a record-breaking 165,000 concurrent players on Steam.
Blizzard’s popular hero shooter, Overwatch, has recorded its highest concurrent player count of all time, surpassing some of Steam’s biggest titles to secure a place among the platform’s top five most-played games.
This milestone coincides with the launch of Overwatch’s substantial overhaul, which saw the game drop the “2” from its title and revert to Season 1. The relaunch introduces a wealth of new content, including a year-long story event titled “Reign of Talon”, five new heroes with five more set to arrive throughout the year, and a Hello Kitty crossover, alongside numerous additional updates.
Overwatch soars on Steam and Twitch following major overhaul
Blizzard’s most ambitious update yet has generated significant excitement. Following its initial launch last week, Steam recorded a surge of players in Overwatch that neared its all-time peak. However, that record has been absolutely shattered as more players rushed to experience the revamped shooter at launch earlier today.
According to Steam Charts, Overwatch reached a 24-hour peak of 165,651 concurrent players, more than doubling its previous record of 75,608 set during its Steam launch over two years ago. The total player count across all platforms is expected to be significantly higher, with many estimating that a large portion of the player base remains on Battle.net and consoles.
With this historic surge, Overwatch overtook several major Steam titles, including HELLDIVERS 2, PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS, and its close competitor Marvel Rivals.
The relaunch has also propelled the game up the Twitch charts, amassing over 200,000 viewers overall. At the time of writing, Overwatch stands as the most-watched game category on the platform.
The game’s resurgence feels like deja vu, echoing its early years of dominance. With Blizzard signalling a renewed commitment to consistent updates, Overwatch may once again cement its place among the most popular games in the industry.
