There Is More to Overwatch 2’s Review Bombing Than What You Might Think

Overwatch 2 arrived on Steam on 10th August and it started getting review-bombed by players to the point where it has become the worst-rated game on Valve’s platform. A lot of the reviews are from players who are disappointed with the direction the game has taken with regard to its monetization. Many are also upset about the canceled PvE (player vs. environment) gameplay, which is now being sold as scraps in the Invasion update. But there is something more to these negative reviews as pointed out by Niko Partners’ Director of Research and Insights, Daniel Ahmad.

Players from China are upset about Blizzard’s operations in the country

Earlier this year, Blizzard Entertainment officially ended its agreement with Netease in China. Netease was responsible for the distribution of Blizzard’s PC games in the country and players have been unable to play on the Chinese servers since 23rd January.

The Chinese playerbase shares the same sentiments as the rest of the world with regard to the lack of PvE content, downgrades compared to Overwatch 1, and content pricing. But a lot of the complaints also stem from: 

• Lack of a national (Chinese) server

• Slow logins and poor connectivity when playing in other servers

• The impact Overwatch’s absence has on the Chinese community 

Niko Partners’ findings about the Chinese audience

In March 2023, Niko Partners conducted a comprehensive survey focusing on Chinese players engaged with Blizzard PC games, both prior to and post the shutdown of key titles. Its investigation revealed that before the shutdown, the standout Blizzard PC games were World of Warcraft and Overwatch, which commanded the biggest audience.

Following the shutdown, over 40%, expressed their inclination to transition to analogous games from different game publishers. There were a considerable number of players willing to explore the possibility of using a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to access the global servers of the game. Additionally, a majority, encompassing 53% of participants, indicated their willingness to re-engage with Overwatch if it were to relaunch in China with a dedicated national server.