Overwatch 2recently debuted with Blizzard launching a closed beta for the online multiplayer shooter sequel. The developer pulled out all the stops forOverwatch 2’s debut, partnering with a significant number of high-profile Twitch streamers. Around 1.5 million concurrent viewers tuned intoOverwatch 2when it started, an astonishing number for any game. But in a shocking turn,Overwatch 2’s Twitch viewership has plummeted in a way that may never have happened before. Its Twitch viewership has shrunk to a fraction of previous totals.
Twitch viewership forOverwatch 2has tumbled to a surprising low over the past week, despite the closed beta only being available for just over a week. The averageTwitch viewershipover the past week is down to around 11,500. Current viewership is closer to 6,000 or 7,000. While a massive drop from 1.5 million viewers was expected, since that’d be impossible to maintain, the new viewership levels are bleak.
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To add some perspective to the situation, the current top-streaming game on Twitch is Grand Theft Auto 5 with nearly 500,000 viewers.Overwatch 2’s current 6,000 viewers have it ranked as the 62nd most-watched category, just aboveKonami’seFootball 2022. Most of those viewers are coming from a single channel, French streamer FefeGG and his 3,500 viewers. No other Twitch streamer has more than a thousand viewers.
In all fairness toOverwatch 2, there’s a partial reason for why its viewership is so low on Twitch. That’s because Blizzard is more heavily focused on YouTube due to a contract for streaming the Overwatch League on the platform. Most viewers are either watching theOverwatch League on YouTubeor they’re waiting for the Overwatch League’s daily matches to end, so their favorite streamers will come online.
With that said, it’s also worth acknowledging that Overwatch League viewership isn’t as insane asOverwatch 2’s debutby any means. Viewership is approaching 100,000 for the Overwatch League 2022 Season’s first day (for now). That’s likely not as high as Blizzard would want to see for the kick-off ofOverwatch 2esports and not the total that will be tuning in day to day, either.
There have been a lot of questions regarding whether Blizzard’s decision to soft-launchOverwatch 2early was the correct decision. Whether it was the right decision for Blizzard to get a partial version ofOverwatch 2’s PvP out to support the Overwatch League, followed by frequent content updates, versus waiting for all ofOverwatch 2’s PvP and PvEto be finished, will only be proven in time.
