‘Marvel Rivals’ Sees Eye-Watering Player Drop Just 10 Months After Launch

Marvel Rivals, a hero shooter developed by NetEase Games in collaboration with Marvel Games, launched on December 6, 2024, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Windows. A PlayStation 4 version followed on September 12 of this year.

The free-to-play game features 43 characters from Marvel Comics and supports cross-play across all platforms. By February, the game had reached over 40 million players worldwide.

The story centers on a clash between Doctor Doom and his heroic 2099 counterpart. This encounter causes a “timestream entanglement,” creating new worlds where heroes and villains from across the multiverse battle each other. Players must fight both Doom variants before one can dominate the new worlds.

Marvel Rivals is a 6v6 third-person shooter. The game includes destructible environments, giving players the ability to alter the battlefield, overseen by the character Galacta. By April, the game offered 13 unique maps for players to explore.

Despite its early success, the game has seen a dramatic decline in players. According to Forbes and tracking on Steam, concurrent players dropped from a peak of 644,000 in January to just 98,000 less than a year later.

While 98,000 players is still a significant number in the industry, the rapid decline raises concerns about the game’s long-term success. Sources note that high production costs and the rapid pace of monthly character releases could make it difficult for the game to sustain its population.

Many critics point out that using Steam charts to measure a game’s health can be misleading. However, for live-service games like Marvel Rivals, retaining and growing the player base is essential. As Forbes commented, “An 85% drop in under a year is not something you can spin positively.”

The game received “mixed or average” reviews on PC and “generally favorable” reviews on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, according to Metacritic. It has been praised for its monetization model, which avoids pay-to-win mechanics. All gameplay elements, including heroes, are free, and purchased battle passes come with time limits.

A recent addition of a “vote to surrender” feature sparked debate in the player community.

This feature allows teams to end matches early if a majority agrees. Game Rant noted that supporters believe it prevents frustrating and unbalanced matches, while critics worry it could encourage defeatist attitudes and disrupt team dynamics.

Marvel Rivals saw rapid early growth. It reached 10 million players within 72 hours of launch and hit a peak of 644,269 concurrent players on Steam by January 10.

Season 1 of Marvel Rivals maintained most of its in-game player count throughout the first month. NetEase later reported the game had over 40 million players by February.

Marvel Rivals showed massive early success, but the rapid decline in players is concerning for a live-service game. While the gameplay and free-to-play model are praised, maintaining player interest will be the real challenge. What do you think about the steep drop in player numbers? Share your thoughts in the comments.