Blizzard’s Steam Debut Stumbles Hard as Overwatch 2 Becomes “Worst-Reviewed” Title

Blizzard Entertainment’s foray into the world of Steam has been met with immense criticism, as Overwatch 2 has quickly become the most negatively reviewed game on Valve’s platform.

The game has amassed approximately 70,000 reviews, with only 10% of them being positive. Overwatch 2 has surpassed “War of the Three Kingdoms” to claim the notorious title of the “worst-rated game” of all time on Steam. Players have engaged in “review bombing,” expressing discontent with Blizzard’s approach to the sequel and voicing their dissatisfaction with the lack of in-game content.

They have released Overwatch 2 with a free-to-play business model, which heavily relies on microtransactions, overpriced skins, and predatory practices. To exacerbate the situation, they have shut down the first game, rendering it unplayable for those who purchased it, forcing the playerbase to transition to this free-to-play model in order to continue playing.

-Steam User BraySC

In addition to this, gamers have expressed disappointment with the decision to largely discard the highly anticipated PvE Hero mode, which was believed to be the primary motivation for the sequel’s existence. To compensate, Blizzard has announced three distinct PvE missions, but they come with a $15 price tag that many users feel does not justify the time and money invested.

While some reviews offer constructive criticism, many of them divert from the discussion of Overwatch 2 and instead focus on topics unrelated to the game, such as Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision-Blizzard and reports of sexual harassment within the company. These factors, while significant, should not be listed as detractors in reviews specifically addressing the game. Valve’s moderation is likely to remove them.

Initially, Blizzard had hoped that releasing Overwatch 2 on Steam would attract a new userbase, but unfortunately, the initiative has backfired for now. The company’s decision to debut Overwatch 2 as their inaugural title raises valid concerns, although we will not delve into them at this time. We anticipate that the launch of Overwatch 2: Invasion, the largest update for the game yet with new in-game content, could potentially improve the situation.

If you are interested in learning more about the update, you can find our comprehensive overview here. By the way, if you purchase an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 40 graphics card from select retailers, you will receive the Invasion bundle for free.