Description
Activision Blizzard's latest financial report reveals that Overwatch 2 and Call of Duty: Warzone 2 experienced a significant drop in player numbers in their first year of release. Both iconic FPS franchises have been highly anticipated by gamers, but the recently revealed data has added some drama for Activision Blizzard. Overwatch 2 launched in October of last year and saw the total number of players drop by 18 million. Despite releasing a new stream of content such as the new Lifeweaver support hero and the new Telantis map, the game encountered several issues including bugs, crashes, stutters, and matchmaking issues. It is currently in Season 4, and while the addition of new content is meant to keep players engaged, the significant drop in player numbers is worrying news for the game. Likewise, Call of Duty: Warzone 2 welcomed Season 3 this week, adding new game modes and features to battle royale, such as a new Gulag map, an arsenal of weapon attachments, and tempered plates that allow players to equip more armor. However, the report says that enthusiasm for the game seems to be cooling, with Warzone 2 losing 13 million players after an initial increase of 14 million monthly players, reaching an average of 111 million.
A drop in player numbers is always a concern for online games, and Call of Duty: Warzone 2's situation is more complicated as it has been losing players for some time. For Overwatch 2 and Warzone 2 players, they can only wait and hope that these drops don't significantly affect games in the long run.
These decreases in player numbers come at a time when Microsoft is looking to acquire Activision Blizzard. However, the acquisition recently stalled, adding a new twist to the company's plans.
The significant drop in player counts for Overwatch 2 and Call of Duty: Warzone 2 in their first year of release is a cause for concern for Activision Blizzard and may affect interest from stakeholders. While the addition of new content is meant to keep players engaged, bugs, crashes, and matchmaking issues have affected the overall player experience. For now, players of both games can only hope that the drop in player numbers doesn't affect the longevity and success of the franchises.
