Is Overwatch esports dead? Here’s what the numbers say
Image credit: Overwatch Esports The Overwatch esports scene soldiers on despite declining viewership, spurred by the 2024 restructuring after the Overwatch League‘s (OWL) shutdown. Recent reports reveal that though the introduction and expansion of the Overwatch Champions Series (OWCS) has revitalised the esports scene, 2025 has continued its downward trend. Reports on Esports Charts indicate … Continued The post Is Overwatch esports dead? Here’s what the numbers say appeared first on Esports Insider.
The Overwatch esports scene soldiers on despite declining viewership, spurred by the 2024 restructuring after the Overwatch League‘s (OWL) shutdown.
Recent reports reveal that though the introduction and expansion of the Overwatch Champions Series (OWCS) has revitalised the esports scene, 2025 has continued its downward trend.
Reports on Esports Charts indicate a slow start for 2025. There have been eight tournaments held so far, with a peak viewership of nearly 150,000 fans for Crazy Raccoon Cup Five.
The 2025 OWCS regional qualifiers have been taking place recently. The highest peak viewership can be seen in Korea Stage One, which attracted nearly 70,000 viewers. The match has also contributed to nearly half of 2025’s $65,000 total prize pool so far.
Interest in the esports scene has waned since its last peak in 2023, when Overwatch 2 was first released. Over 100 tournaments were held that year, with a peak viewership of over 300,000 for the Overwatch World Cup 2023.
Despite this peak, OWL viewership in 2023 was nearly half of what it was compared to early 2022. Lower viewership was blamed on Blizzard’s mismanagement of the esports scene, including moving the streams to YouTube and not teams not earning what they were promised.
After the OWL failed, the Overwatch Champions Series (OWCS) replaced the franchised league system in 2024. Despite a viewership spike for the OWCS Major, the 2024 Finals peaked at only half the Overwatch World Cup’s 2023 numbers.
Shrinking Viewership Calls Concerns For Overwatch Esports Future
There are a number of reasons why this decline could be happening. Many highlight the fading Covid effect, with fewer people staying indoors to watch live streams.
Other factors could include a steady decline in Overwatch’s popularity. The development of the sequel and its PVE content caused a dry spell for the original game’s updates. The launch was met with a lot of criticism from pro gamers, especially due to the 5v5 change. Marvel Rivals‘ blossoming esports scene has also stolen a large portion of the fanbase.
Blizzard has continued fighting, however, and the Overwatch’s new perk system could possibly revitalise some of the game’s competitive spirit.
Interest could also increase in light of the Olympic Committee entering the esports space, possibly attracting new viewers to the Overwatch competitive scene.
With Overwatch 2 joining the Esports World Cup 2025 line-up, it’s poised to breathe new life into a scene on the ropes.
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