Overwatch 2 hits all-time low for concurrent player peak

Overwatch 2 Season 17 has experienced a rocky start, as concurrent player peaks have declined to their lowest point since the game launched on Steam back in August 2023.

According to SteamDB, Overwatch 2 dropped to a concurrent player peak of 24,414 on July 28th, 2025, a far cry from its all-time peak of over 75,000.

Season 17 hasn’t made the same splash as previous seasons on Steam. According to SteamDB, Season 16’s launch saw a peak of 60,127 players on April 21st, and Season 15 saw a peak of 59,332 players. Upon Season 17’s launch on June 23rd, it only attracted a peak of 37,362 users.

There are several reasons why these seasons were so popular, and it also may point to why Season 17 has fallen behind. Season 15 introduced the Hero Perk system, which allowed players to upgrade characters as they played, alongside the launch of the new hero Freja. Then, Season 16 introduced the Stadium mode, where players can create builds for unique gameplay styles.

Season 17 launched without a standout feature, likely making it less attractive to players. Whilst it did bring in changes such as map voting, it hasn’t shaken up the game to the extent of previous seasons, perhaps resulting in some players feeling less incentivised to return this season.

The meta is another possible reason that Overwatch 2 players are losing interest, with some heroes becoming too dominant over others.

Some damage characters, such as Freja and the recently buffed Tracer, can output large amounts of damage with very little counter-play. The best support characters, currently Lucio and Kiriko, often boast great mobility and survivability. The best tanks in the game, notably Zarya and Ramattra, even make matches unplayable without a ban.

The game also has its fair share of frustrating heroes to play against that take up a ban slot during competitive matches. Some of the most banned heroes include Sombra, Zarya and Doomfist, who was recently disabled due to an overpowered bug.

Season 17 is in a tough spot for now and only time will tell if it will continue to decline or improve. This may change as we enter the Mid-Season, with the release of new features such as map reworks, competitive drives and the hero trials for Season 18’s hero, Wuyang.

While the Steam population may not be in the best state, it’s important to note that it doesn’t represent the whole health of the game. There are many dedicated players on the game’s other PC launcher, Battle.net, alongside a sizeable number of players on console.

Interest in Overwatch 2 has dropped to an all-time low for the time being, but the game’s esports scene has reached a pivotal point that has excited fans. The Overwatch Champions Series (OWCS) concludes Stage 2 and all eyes are set on the Mid-Season Championship in the Esports World Cup.