Earlier this year, Overwatch shook things up: It dropped the 2, it dropped five heroes at once, and it dropped more story than it's ever had. Blizzard kickstarted a new era for the live service hero shooter almost 10 years after its debut, a plan that was partially inspired by the explosive success of Marvel Rivals.
When Marvel Rivals landed in late 2024, the Overwatch team saw it as the first direct competitor it had in years. As Rivals' player counts skyrocketed and the comparisons to Overwatch took over social media, Blizzard knew something had to change.
