Overwatch 2’s game director, Aaron Keller, kinda threw some thoughts out there recently. He mentioned that while Marvel Rivals ramps up the challenge, Overwatch 2 hasn’t exactly copied ideas just because of it. Feels like Marvel’s superhero antics did wake up something in Overwatch 2, but Blizzard didn’t start cooking up new stuff just to keep pace with the competition. They’ve been on this path for a while.
So, Marvel Rivals made its grand debut on December 6, 2024. Ever since then, people kept looking at Overwatch 2, wondering what’s coming next. NetEase took the hero shooter formula and gave it a twist. And you know what? Overwatch 2 rolled out some cool new seasons with perks like Hero Bans and Map Voting. Kinda feels like they were watching each other, right?
I remember watching this stream, a bunch of Overwatch 2 folks—developers, voice actors—were hanging out on Jay3’s channel. Toward the end, Conor McLeod, the Hazard voice actor, threw out a question to Aaron Keller about whether Marvel Rivals nudged them to do better. Keller’s response? A classic “no-yes.” Basically, he agreed competition’s good but insisted their recent strides weren’t exactly Marvel-inspired. Features like Perks and Stadium, according to him, were long-planned.
But then again, Keller did admit, competition put some pep in Overwatch 2’s step. They moved Hero Bans up the schedule a bit. Why? Well, Marvel Rivals had it for top-tier matches. Even so, Hero Bans weren’t a last-minute addition. Seems like the timing was more about rolling out stuff they were already developing.
Some fans, though, think Keller’s playing it down. They argue Overwatch 2’s updates are too perfectly timed to not be connected to Marvel Rivals’ moves. But here’s the thing: developing complex features takes ages. Something like Tournament Mode or Percs—those don’t get whipped up overnight. Sure, Marvel might’ve given them a nudge in terms of timing, but the ideas weren’t born yesterday. Bottom line? The rivalry’s pushing both teams to step up their game, even if it’s a squeeze for the devs.
Keller wrapped things up by teasing what’s next for Overwatch 2. He talked about the production “ramping up” from Season 18 onward—with hints at more surprises rolling out into 2026. It’s like, as they push forward, we might see even bigger leaps from their team. So, fasten your seatbelts; looks like they’re in this to really push boundaries.
Oh, and while I’m thinking about it—gotta wonder what those new features will be. Maybe something totally unexpected? Who knows, but I guess we’ll all be keeping our eyes peeled.
