Overwatch Player Count and Where to Find Stats

Overwatch has been with us for the last five years, and it does not feel like it’s going away anytime soon. But with that in mind, does it seem like the game is starting to die out? Why is the Overwatch player count seemingly dropping by so much every month? 

The thing causing people to leave is the lack of content. The devs at Activision Blizzard update the game, but there is nothing to bring the excitement back via streaming. Not even Overwatch Esports has people as excited as they used to be. Overwatch 2 has people believing again, but we have to wait so long it’s understandable why people might lose interest. 

To understand why so many people are talking about this, you have to look at the numbers. There are plenty of sites that offer various information about the game itself and its data. This includes everything from esports data to player counts. There are plenty of ways to find this info, but here are three of the best of them. 

Each site has its own way of getting data and presenting it. Here is a perspective on what is good about each site and what isn’t. Each will include links to the respective sites’ Overwatch player count. 

The site itself is interesting. Gamers started it because they wanted to know how many people were playing their favorite games. They say they were just playing around with code and found a way to track network traffic via their Ghost Network Protocol Technology or GNP for short. 

While some of the info seems like a bunch of mumbo jumbo, the site itself does have some good things going for it. They have a live counter for every game that they cover. You can even click a button to see what the current count is. It is also straightforward to use and navigate. They probably intended it to be like this because they are just a bunch of regular guys wanting to share info they’ve found. 

Now here is the kicker. There is one thing that is bad about the site, and that is its validity. Different factors go into this. After searching through some source code, Redditors found absolutely nothing in the source code regarding a live counter. It appears as a random number calculator. 

There are also inconsistencies with how they track network traffic remotely. How do they manage this without causing a bunch of red flags? They should not have access to this remotely, at least not without it being a huge security risk.

Activeplayer is another fan-made site. Although, they seem to be much more aware of the data they provide. All data they provide are the result of extensive research on a specific game. They run through numerous websites that offer statistical data for the game such as statista.com, steamcharts.com, newzoo.com, gamstat.com, and more. They even have a disclaimer saying not to use their data as factual. Having that self-awareness is always a plus. 

Their live player counter is much better than that of the one from above. They get their results from a mathematical formula in which the base data are from the monthly user’s data. Unlike other game statistics websites, they are not just randomly displayed numbers. 

The main problem with this site is the fact that none of the data is factual. Everything is based on estimates, which can cause the counts and other variables to be incorrect. 

Another small problem is they don’t get the data themselves. They borrow it from other sources and combine it all. It is no better than any other regular person compiling their own research and getting numbers. 

They should be considered a reliable source but tread with caution. 

Last but not least is statista.com. They are the most reliable when it comes to acquiring data. They have been around for the last 13 years and are considered the best at compiling data and presenting it. 

When it comes to Overwatch player data, they don’t provide much. The most recent bit of data they pushed out was from 2018. That is the start of Overwatch’s peak, and it does not go on from there. The only current data they give is Twitch viewership which is only somewhat useful.

The other problem is the paywall. They give the user options to see the source of their data, but for any other additional info not provided, you have to pay for it. 

If you need to get some good info on Overwatch or any other game’s player count, it falls on you to do some independent research. Find a good site that works best for you and that you trust. Out of this list, it’s almost clear that Activeplayer is one of the better options out there.