Blizzard Entertainment’s ‘Overwatch 2’ reaches 25 million players in first 10 days

Overwatch 2, Blizzard Entertainment’s cross-platform and free-to-play team-based action game, has seen over 25 million heroes join the fight in the first 10 days since its launch on Windows PC via Battle.net, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch consoles. The game has proven to be a global phenomenon, already achieving a daily player base spread near-even across EMEA, Asia and America; that’s nearly triple the previous daily player peak from the original Overwatch.

“The launch of Overwatch 2 has been such an important moment for Blizzard. We’re thrilled to bring new players from around the world into Overwatch’s vibrant universe while welcoming back the existing Blizzard community. This is only the beginning—there are so many possibilities to explore in the world of Overwatch, and we cannot wait for players to experience everything the team is building for the live game,” said Blizzard Entertainment president Mike Ybarra.

The newest support hero to join the roster, Kiriko, has been a popular pick in matches so far, with players having successfully charged and unleashed her Kitsune Rush ultimate ability over two million times in the first week alone. Also new to Overwatch 2 is cross-platform progression, a new five-versus-five multiplayer format, six new maps, the new push game mode, a new ping system, a redesigned competitive mode, updated appearances for every hero, numerous hero ability kit reworks, updated graphics and audio engines, and much more. 

The launch is just the first step in the future of Overwatch. Overwatch 2 will receive regular seasonal updates, often including new heroes, maps, game modes, and cosmetics. Planned to begin rolling out next year, release plans will be announced at a later date for the game’s much-anticipated PvE mode.