The rising popularity of Marvel Rivals has spurred Overwatch 2's development team to embrace change and innovation, according to the game's director.

Marvel Rivals, launched in late 2024, presents the biggest challenge yet to Overwatch 2's dominance in the hero shooter genre.

While Overwatch and its sequel have faced criticism, their influence is undeniable.  Overwatch essentially defined the hero shooter genre, emerging from the remnants of the canceled Titan MMORPG.  Its emphasis on distinct characters with unique abilities has influenced other live service games like Call of Duty and titles across various genres.  New contenders, such as Marvel Rivals, owe a creative debt to Overwatch, even as they strive to dethrone it.

Overwatch 2 director Aaron Keller, in an interview, welcomed the competition from Marvel Rivals. He expressed confidence in Overwatch 2's ability to rise to the occasion and highlighted upcoming features in Season 15 and beyond.

Keller acknowledged Marvel Rivals' success in challenging Overwatch 2 on its own terms.  He noted that prior to Marvel Rivals, no other game had been "so similar" to what Blizzard had created.  Indeed, Marvel Rivals closely mirrors the foundations laid by Overwatch, with fans readily drawing parallels between character preferences in both games.

Inspired by Marvel Rivals' approach to familiar mechanics, Keller stated that the Overwatch 2 team will no longer be "playing it safe."  He pointed to significant changes revealed in a recent spotlight event, including an upgradeable perk system for heroes and a new "Stadium" mode featuring customization and buying mechanics reminiscent of Valorant and Counter-Strike.

Furthermore, Blizzard is reintroducing highly requested features like 6v6 team play, map voting, hero banning, and even previously dormant monetization elements like loot boxes.

Keller emphasized that the team welcomes the challenge, viewing the "pressure" as motivation to enhance Overwatch 2 and continually strive for improvement.  He described the upcoming changes in 2025 as an opportunity to "inject freshness" and "increase the depth of play."

If successful, these changes could usher in a new era of prosperity for the veteran hero shooter, benefiting both players and Blizzard.