Summary
- Marvel Rivals has reached over 40 million players since its launch, setting records and introducing new characters and features.
- The timing of the announcement has been controversial after NetEase just laid off an entire team based in the US.
- Despite laying off US developers, NetEase Games reassures fans and aims to deliver high-quality content with the upcoming 1.5 update.
Shortly after laying off a US-based team of developers, Marvel Rivals confirmed that it has reached over 40 million players since its launch on December 6, 2024. Season 1: Eternal Night falls has been a big hit for Marvel Rivals, as it managed to set a new record for concurrent players during its launch weekend and brought many new players into the game. The season also introduced Mister Fantastic and Invisible Woman as playable characters alongside a new game mode, map, and a wide variety of highly requested features.
NetEase Games is on the cusp of releasing its major mid-season update for Marvel Rivals. Fans will soon be able to play as Human Torch and The Thing, rounding out the members of The Fantastic Four. In addition to fresh characters, gamers will be able to experience a version of Central Park taken over by Dracula and his vampire army. The developers have also added some new features, like being able to convert excess Chrono Tokens into Units and even made a major change to Quick Matches, as players who leave at the very end of a game will no longer be substituted. These features have been met with a lot of enthusiasm from a large portion of the community.
Marvel Rivals Reveals Central Park Map, Teases Blade
Marvel Rivals gives players a first look at its upcoming Central Park map and teases Blade in NetEase Games' popular hero shooter.
In a recent earnings call, NetEase Games confirmed that Marvel Rivals has been a massive success, reaching a major milestone of over 40 million players since its launch on December 6, 2024. The developer also mentioned that the popular hero shooter reached 10 million players within 72 hours of its debut and topped Steam's charts both at launch and with the release of Season 1: Eternal Night Falls. While many fans had assumed the title was successful, they also seemed shocked by the game's impressive player count.
Marvel Rivals Has Reached Over 40 Million Players
This news comes shortly after Marvel Rivals laid off a whole team of developers based in the United States. Director Thaddeus Sasser made a statement about the layoffs on LinkedIn, noting that "this is such a weird industry" and "times are tough all over." Despite delivering an incredibly successful product, numerous developers will now be looking for work elsewhere. The news sparked a lot of conversation within the gaming community, with many players upset that even hit titles seem destined to layoff large quantities of their workforce.
NetEase Games later commented on the Marvel Rivals layoffs, stating that it was part of a difficult decision to restructure the company and "optimize development efficiency." The developer also assured fans that it is committed to continually delivering high quality content, which begins with the major 1.5 update for Season 1. Despite some bad news surrounding the popular title recently, many fans are still excited to see what NetEase Games brings to the title next.
Marvel Rivals
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 78 /100 Critics Rec: 84%
- Released
- December 6, 2024
- ESRB
- T For Teen // Violence
- Developer(s)
- NetEase Games
- Publisher(s)
- NetEase Games
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- Third-Person Shooter, Action, Multiplayer
