Newzoo Report Shows the Overwatch to Marvel Rivals Pipeline is Real

New data from the firm Newzoo has revealed that over 45% of Overwatch players who left the game in December moved directly to Marvel Rivals. Here's everything we know.

New data shows just how impactful the Marvel Rivals launch was on Overwatch 2's playerbase. / Marvel Games; NetEase Games; Activision Blizzard

Since its launch in 2016, Overwatch has become a titan in the esports world and has rapidly grown in popularity. However, development decisions in recent years have left users upset, and Marvel Rivals' 2024 launch devoured a sizable portion of the game's player base. A new report has emerged showing just how effective Marvel Rivals' launch was at drawing dissatisfied Overwatch players to the game. Here's everything we know.

A Marvel Rivals-ry: Marketing to Overwatch 2's Player Base

Pictured: Black Widow (left) from Marvel Rivals alongside Widowmaker (right) from Overwatch 2. / Marvel Games; NetEase Games; Activision Blizzard

Marvel Rivals' arrival coincided with a key period of dissatisfaction in the Overwatch 2 player base, and the game's attempt to court Overwatch's users has been no secret. While Marvel Rivals has a unique art style, universe and overall concept, the game shares Overwatch 2's classic objective-based format. Many of its heroes are also similar: Black Widow bears the same spider theme as the sniper Widowmaker, Punisher can enter a turret form akin to Bastion's, Thor functions much like Reinhardt and Hawkeye is Hanzo's spitting image.

Marvel Rivals' key differentiation from Overwatch and main selling points seems to be its receptiveness to its community. The developers regularly update the title, cater to the fan experience with silly inclusions like the Venom 'twerk' emote and often respond to fan feedback: in one case, the team reversed its planned Season 1 rank reset after players showed disapproval.

Another significant aspect lending Marvel Rivals an advantage is the title's investments in its competitive and esports spheres. Overwatch's previous competitive circuit, the Overwatch League (OWL), fell from grace after several controversies and logistical confusion, closing in late 2023. Though the Overwatch Champions Series (OWCS) would soon replace it, it has not yet reached the same repute, and the OWL's closure was ultimately a stumble that created a vacuum for objective-based esports competition.

In response, Marvel Rivals quickly positioned itself as an alternative and made it clear to players that it would support a surrounding esports ecosystem. Before any official tournaments, the title sponsored several showmatches. Now, the first Marvel Rivals Championship (MRC) has already concluded, with household-name esports orgs like Sentinels, Gen.G and Luminosity Gaming taking part. In addition, the title will adjust rank distributions in Season 2 to better reflect skill and fine-tune the meta, demonstrating an aim to curate a competitive experience.

Related Article: Marvel Rivals Season 2 - All Ranked and Competitive Changes

In perhaps the clearest marketing attempt to Overwatch 2's base, Marvel Rivals is also picking up former Overwatch pros and influencers to promote it. The title tapped Overwatch legends Necros and mL7 for several promotional activities, and included star tank player Flats and TimTheTatman as hosts in its Season 2 preview streams.

New Data: Just How Much Did Marvel Rivals' Launch Impact Overwatch?

According to a new report, 45% of Overwatch 2 players who stopped playing in December 2024 started playing Marvel Rivals instead

via @NewzooHQ pic.twitter.com/MbIbZMSJ8b

— Marvel Rivals Intel (@RivalsAssembled) April 10, 2025

On April 10 2025, Marvel Rivals news account @RivalsAssembled posted revealing a long-awaited statistic: According to a full analytic report by PC and console data firm Newzoo, 45% of players who stopped playing Overwatch 2 in December 2024 (when Marvel Rivals launched) moved directly to Marvel Rivals. This indicates a significant and direct correlation between Overwatch 2's player base loss and Marvel Rivals' surge during the period.

The full report, containing information on the most well-known Free-to-Play (F2P) titles, also demonstrated which games increased and decreased in popularity throughout the year. Newzoo noticed that new releases had particularly high gains from existing F2P communities. Counter-Strike, League of Legends, Apex Legends, the Sims 4 and Overwatch 2 all experienced declines. Meanwhile, PUBG: Battlegrounds, Marvel Rivals, Fortnite and Roblox all saw surges in popularity.

Esports Impact

Another statistic from Newzoo states that Marvel Rivals was reportedly responsible for "7% of all F2P growth in 2024," which is a sizable accomplishment considered the game launched on December 6 2024, just a few weeks before the year's end.

While this information indicates a significant turning point in esports, it's important to note that this rivalry is far from over — Overwatch 2 is stepping up its game and actively updating to react to its new competition. Earlier in 2025, the title introduced a new 'Perks' system to reinvigorate gameplay and also restructured its esports activities. Ultimately, the interaction is beneficial for fans of both titles, since it will encourage innovation in the genre.

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