overwatch 2: failure follows success

A Cash Grab That Wiped the Server of Trust

Overwatch 2, Blizzard Entertainment’s 2022 free-to-play sequel, stormed onto Steam on 10 August 2023, only to be review-bombed harder than a Call of Duty spawn point, earning a “Mostly Negative” rating from 341,254 reviews, with just 23% positive, per store.steampowered.com. Fans, expecting a meaty PvE campaign, got a gutted story mode and a $15 paywall for missions, while the original Overwatch—a $60 AAA gem—was axed, forcing players into a microtransaction maze, per TheGamer. Blizzard’s $1.66 billion live-service revenue in 2024, fueled by $10 battle passes and $20 skins, screams corporate greed louder than a D.Va ult, per GamesIndustry.biz. This bait-and-switch, coupled with server issues and missing progress from Overwatch 1, per Windows Central, is almost certain to spotlight AAA’s obsession with profit over polish, as X posts lament a “cash-cow sequel” that killed a beloved game. Blizzard’s fumble proves big budgets don’t guarantee fun—just a loot box of broken promises.

A Wake-Up Call for AAA to Stop Grinding for Gold

Overwatch 2’s Season 15, launched 18 February 2025, clawed back to a “Mixed” recent Steam rating with 47% positive reviews, thanks to hero perks and loot box returns, per PC Gamer. Yet, its 60,000 peak Steam players pale against Marvel Rivals’ 305,816, showing Blizzard’s late fixes can’t outrun a tarnished rep, per IGN. AAA’s broader woes—$200 million flops like Anthem and formulaic sequels like FIFA, per Arcadia Quill—mirror Overwatch 2’s stumble, where 400-600 person teams churn out monetized shells, per Wikipedia. Indies like Hades (2 million copies at $25) thrive by prioritizing heart, per VGChartz, while Overwatch 2’s predatory model is very likely to warn devs to ditch pay-to-win tactics, judging from Reddit rants. Blizzard needs to spec into player trust, not microtransaction metas, or risk a permadeath in the hero shooter arena.