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Blizzard Entertainment's most celebrated first-person shooter title, Overwatch 2, has reached an active playerbase of 25 million users. Since its release on October 4, 2022, the sequel to the 2016 hero-based shooter title has amassed a diverse playerbase that consists of members of the existing Overwatch community as well as a new generation of players.
When the original Overwatch title was released in May 2016, Blizzard observed an active playerbase of seven million users in its first week. In comparison, the game's sequel has garnered over triple the amount within a span of just 10 days. Although the numbers do reflect a positive response from the playerbase, the game's online community seems to think otherwise.
Overwatch 2 community disappointed in the game's development despite crossing 25 million active players
Overwatch 2 was released earlier this month as an update to its prequel. While the original Overwatch was a paid experience that cost anywhere between $20 to $60, the sequel was released as a free-to-play title with additional benefits for its existing paid users.
Blizzard's decision to release Overwatch 2 as a free-to-play title has definitely bolstered the game's presence in various parts of the world where its prequel has failed to make an impact. Additionally, the free experience has also attracted a section of casual gamers who aren't looking to invest any money into the game.
However, the game's developers at Blizzard have introduced several new aspects that the Overwatch community has seemingly disapproved of. Instead of celebrating a remarkable milestone in the game's history, several Overwatch players were seen complaining about various in-game issues that need to be addressed.
I Talk, a popular Fortnite and Overwatch YouTuber, reacted positively to the game's performance while criticizing Blizzard's revenue model for the game. Although Overwatch 2 is a free-to-play title, several in-game cosmetics that were available as free items have now been converted to purchasable items to support its current free-to-play model.
A few Twitter users reminisced about the days of Overwatch, where players could get their hands on in-game skins by opening loot boxes for free. With the release of OW2, Blizzard has not only removed loot boxes from the game but has also released paid alternatives for all the previously released skins.
One member of the Overwatch community pointed out some of the technical issues that the game has had since its release. Although the game's predecessor was known to have similar issues, fans expected Blizzard to bring in the necessary fixes for these problems with the release of Overwatch 2.
Multiple Overwatch enthusiasts on Twitter pointed out that their achievements from the previous title were not accurately carried over to the new game. Similar issues were communicated earlier as well, where several players were unable to access their Overwatch inventory in OW2.
Several such issues have emerged since the game's official release on October 4, 2022. From its choppy gameplay to expensive cosmetics, players have a number of reasons to express their frustration. However, with the game still in its initial stages, fans all over the world will definitely have a lot more to look forward to in the coming months.
