Overwatch 2 playercount nears 35 million players one month after launch

Rohan

Rohan

It’s a good start for Overwatch 2.

Overwatch 2's playercount has crossed 35 million players within a month of its release, Activision said in its quarterly reports. 

Overwatch 2 released on October 4 and was one of the most anticipated releases this year. The FPS game had many similarities to the first game, but there were also quite a few notable differences. Key amongst them were drastic visual changes, a move to 5v5 in competitive mode, new heroes and a new map as well as a new game mode.

The number is not entirely surprising considering Overwatch 2 had 25 million players within ten days of launch. The Overwatch 1 sequel has had issues with launch. But has also brought in a significantly higher number of players into the Overwatch ecosystem.

More players logging in daily

Overwatch 2 playercount is signficantly better than a similar period for Overwatch 1, says Blizzard. Image via Blizzard
Overwatch 2 playercount is signficantly better than a similar period for Overwatch 1, says Blizzard. Image via Blizzard

Activision Blizzard also revealed that the game had higher daily player numbers compared to the early days of Overwatch 1. 

Player investment is also off to a strong start, positioning the title to be a meaningful contributor to Blizzard's business in the fourth quarter.

Overwatch 2 is free-to-play and targets a much wider audience compared to its predecessor. With a free battle pass system, players have to level up in order to play the new hero. This has enabled the game to engage players at a much-deeper level.

Blizzard also said the playerbase is split almost evenly between Americas, Europe and Asia, highlighting the global appeal of the game.

When does Overwatch 2 PvE mode release?

Overwatch 2’s much-anticipated PvE mode will release in 2023. The PvE mode was one of the highlights of the new Overwatch and fans were disappointed by its absence at launch.

Players can level up their battle passes quicker on double XP weekends. The next double XP weekend is from November 24 at 2PM ET until November 28 at 2PM ET.

Stay tuned for the latest Overwatch esports news and updates.