{"id":1252741,"date":"2026-03-01T10:37:09","date_gmt":"2026-03-01T10:37:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wCPn3GrTTHypjvmNS6yyZK"},"modified":"2026-03-01T10:37:09","modified_gmt":"2026-03-01T10:37:09","slug":"competition-is-healthy-overwatch-2s-director-sets-the-record-straight-about-its-rivalry-with-marvel-rivals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/arcader.org\/news\/competition-is-healthy-overwatch-2s-director-sets-the-record-straight-about-its-rivalry-with-marvel-rivals\/","title":{"rendered":"‘Competition is healthy’: Overwatch 2’s director sets the record straight about its rivalry with Marvel Rivals"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Marvel Rivals<\/a> and Overwatch 2<\/a> have been intertwined ever since the former’s beginning. At first, players dunked on Rivals, saying that it was a poor copy of Overwatch 2. Then, as Rivals’ open beta progressed and we closed in on its official release date, many claimed that its arrival would mark the death of Overwatch 2.<\/p>\n

What actually happened is much less dramatic. Marvel Rivals released to great success with over 400,000 players at launch<\/a>. Meanwhile, while Overwatch 2 saw a bit of a decrease in turnout and a slower season, it was able to claw its way back into relevancy with a very impressive Perks update<\/a> and new Stadium mode<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Best of the best<\/div>\n
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\"The<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>

(Image credit: Larian Studios)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

2025 games<\/strong><\/a>: Upcoming releases
<\/strong>Best PC games<\/strong><\/a>: All-time favorites
Free PC games<\/strong><\/a>: Freebie fest
Best FPS games<\/strong><\/a>: Finest gunplay
Best RPGs<\/strong><\/a>: Grand adventures
Best co-op games<\/strong><\/a>: Better together<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

The timing of these updates being so close to Marvel Rivals’ release and success made a lot of people think that it was, in fact, a direct response to such. But apparently that’s not the case at all, at least not according to Overwatch 2 director Aaron Keller.<\/p>\n

“So much of what we were doing this year\u2014from perks to Stadium to map voting\u2014we did full hero bans, and all the heroes we’re releasing have been in the works for over a year,” Keller tells streamer Jay3<\/a> (via GamesRadar<\/a>). “As part of a new strategy for the game to have a big annual kick-off to the year.”<\/p>\n

A lot of what we see in Stadium had been shown years in advance. Individual Powers like Soldier 76’s healing pylon that could follow him as he ran were actually first shown at BlizzCon 2021<\/a> alongside a progression and talent system as part of the promised PvE update. I don’t doubt that after this mode was confirmed dead<\/a>, the devs began theorising ways to repackage the content, which would eventually lead to the new Stadium mode.<\/p>\n

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