Since its release on Oct. 4, 2022, as a completely free-to-play title, Blizzard’s Overwatch 2 has seen tremendous success. As of September 2024, the Overwatch Player Count remained stable with over 22 million monthly players and an average of over 6 million daily players. Want to know more? We’re here to help!
Join us as we dive into the Overwatch 2 player count numbers, looking at the most recent publicly available data, the highest concurrent player numbers recorded, and what the future holds.
How Many People Play Overwatch 2?
Developer Blizzard Entertainment rarely offers official stats on how many people play Overwatch 2. The last time we had official numbers was in October 2022.
However, according to third-party source ActivePlayer.io, Overwatch 2 is thriving! The latest data indicates Overwatch 2 had more than 22 million players in September 2024.
You’ll find the Overwatch 2 player count estimates from January 2024 to September 2024 below.
Month | Monthly Players | Average Daily Players |
September 2024 | 22,404,523 | 6,049,221 |
August 2024 | 23,014,405 | 6,213,889 |
July 2024 | 24,888,211 | 6,719,817 |
June 2024 | 23,862,139 | 6,442,778 |
May 2024 | 23,119,988 | 6,242,397 |
April 2024 | 23,688,512 | 6,395,898 |
March 2024 | 23,315,464 | 6,295,175 |
February 2024 | 25,100,970 | 6,777,262 |
January 2024 | 26,040,837 | 5,989,392 |
Please note: The ActivePlayer.io website does make educated guesses based on trends, historical data, Twitch viewership numbers, and SteamDB stats for the game’s PC version. While it is a good source of information, don’t take the numbers as 100% accurate.
Where Is Overwatch 2 The Most Popular?
At the time of writing, specific geographical information about Overwatch 2’s player base is unavailable to the public. We can say that Overwatch 2 is very popular in the following three regions:
- North America (NA)
- Europe, Middle East, and North Africa (EMEA)
- Asia
According to the third-party website Player Counter, Overwatch 2 is the most popular in the United States, which makes up 26.61% of the active daily participation with the Republic of Kora coming in second at 5.77% daily participation.
The developers revealed the Overwatch Championship Series with the three regions participating, leading us to believe Overwatch 2 is the most popular in the abovementioned regions.
How Does Overwatch 2’s Player Count Compare To Similar Games?
Overwatch 2 is massive compared to many other team-based tactical shooters. While it’s also unique as a hero-shooter, it does compare well to Riot Games’ VALORANT with its Agents. Both titles are free-to-play, too.
According to ActivePlayer.io, VALORANT had 26,788,539 players in September 2024, compared to Overwatch 2’s 22,404,523 player count. The big difference is that VALORANT is only available on PC and just recently available on console (PS5 and Xbox Series X), while Overwatch 2 is available on PC and several consoles, including PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch.
It is also clear that Overwatch 2 has destroyed its direct competition. Paladins, which is broadly considered almost a “copy” of Overwatch, had an active player count of 287,495 in September 2024.
What Impacts The Game’s Popularity?
Overwatch 2 is a free-to-play live-service title. Consistent updates and seasons are its bread-and-butter to keep gamers happy or bring back inactive players. Some examples of this include Overwatch 2 Season 8 and the release of the new hero, Mauga, in December 2023, which resulted in an influx of players in January 2024.
For many fans, the new Overwatch 2 heroes to unlock and master is a good enough reason to continue playing the game. For others, it takes something more significant, such as the Overwatch 2 Season 9 update, which focuses on massive balance changes and revitalizes the game’s Competitive Play.
Another major aspect that affects Overwatch 2’s popularity is esports, particularly the huge events that can bring fans together. The more fans see exciting matches and advanced tactics from the best teams in the world, the higher the chance of those same fans picking up their controllers and jumping back into the hero shooter.
What Does The Future Look Like For Overwatch 2’s Player Count?
The revitalization of Overwatch esports could play a big part in further increasing the game’s player count in 2024 and beyond. With the Overwatch Championship Series replacing the Overwatch League as the premier event series, we have high hopes for the hero shooter’s competitive scene.
There’s much to look forward to with the new OWCS as well as the partnership with FACEIT and big LANs planned for DreamHack events.
Judging by official statistics at the launch of Overwatch 2 and the current estimated player numbers, the game has held onto its impressive playerbase for well over a year. The future looks bright for Overwatch 2’s player count, thanks in part to Blizzard continuing to push out substantial content updates.
For more ways to enjoy your favorite hero shooter, be sure to check out the Overwatch 2 betting odds on Thunderpick!
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