Starfield may be Microsoft's big Xbox console exclusive for the year, but it's already off to an impressive start on Steam.
Overwatch 2’s Steam launch met with “Overwhelmingly Negative” reviews
14.08.2023 - 12:33 / destructoid.com / Aaron Keller
Overwatch 2 has been available for a while on multiple platforms, though it was in Early Access. With the Invasion update, the game left early access and officially launched on August 10.
Reception hasn’t been particularly good, and the game currently sits with “Overwhelmingly Negative” user reviews on Steam. The main reasons for the review bombing relate to how the free-to-play model was implemented, as well as the lack of previously promised content.
One of the main criticisms Overwatch 2 is facing is that it is far more money-oriented than its predecessor. For example, some Heroes and game modes are locked behind a Battle Pass system. They can be unlocked through normal gameplay, though paying players can simply bypass it all. Some content has also been cut from the game, including the planned PvE Hero Mode.
Explaining why this is the case, Blizzard’s Aaron Keller wrote a blog post revealing how plans were made but developers struggled to find their “footing with the Hero Mission experience early on,” leading to the decision to cut it. The Invasion update does come with PvE Hero missions, but they are locked behind the Battle Pass system, leading to further annoyance.
When scrolling through the user reviews, it is easy to see a trend among the complaints. They’re succinctly summarized in Steam user BraySC’s review: “They released Overwatch 2 as a free-to-play business model, which leans more heavily into microtransactions, overpriced skins and predatory behaviour. To make matters worse, they shut down the first game, making it unplayable for people who purchased it, meaning the player base has to move over to this free-to-play business model to keep playing the game.” There are also plenty of mentions of Blizzard’s history of workplace sexual harassment allegations in the reviews.
As of August 13, only 9% of the 92,028 reviews are positive, making Overwatch 2 one of the most negatively reviewed games on Steam. The negative reviews aren’t limited to Valve’s store, and players have also been voicing their dissatisfaction on Metacritic where the game sits a user score of 1.4 as of August 13, indicating “Overwhelming Dislike.”
Things haven’t been all bad for Overwatch 2, however. On Metacritic, the critic review score is a respectable 69 as of August 13. It also hit a commendable peak of 75,608 concurrent Steam players on August 11, indicating that there may still be hope for the colorful FPS.
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