Overwatch returns to lead Steam and surpasses Call of Duty and Battlefield 6 in players

The free Blizzard shooter records its best figure on Steam before the start of the new season.

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Over the past few days, Blizzard’s historic shooter has seen an unexpected surge in activity on Steam, surpassing established franchises like Call of Duty and Battlefield 6 in terms of concurrent players. This is especially notable considering its next major update has yet to be released.

This growth coincides with a period of deep renewal for the game, marked by the removal of the “2” from its commercial name and a series of design and content adjustments that are rekindling the interest of many veteran players, as well as attracting new users thanks to its free-to-play model and solid presence on PC and consoles.

Overwatch records its highest player peak on Steam since its arrival in 2023

According to Steam’s public data, Overwatch has gone from an average of around 38,000 concurrent players to reaching a peak of over 76,600 connected users, recorded on Sunday, February 8th. This is the game’s best performance since its launch on Valve’s platform in 2023, when Blizzard began publishing its titles on Steam as part of Microsoft Gaming‘s multi-platform strategy.

This growth has occurred even before the official start of Season 1 Reign of Talon, scheduled for February 10th on PC and consoles, which reinforces the idea that the current interest is not just a one-time event. During this period, the shooter has managed to surpass heavy-hitting franchises like Call of Duty and Battlefield 6 in terms of active users on Steam.

In the short term, all indications are that these numbers could grow even further with the arrival of new content. In the medium term, the real challenge will be to see if this renewal phase translates into a more stable and sustained player base for Blizzard Entertainment‘s title, something fundamental for a game designed as a long-term service.