Summary
- Marvel Rivals reached an all-time low player count of 159,426 on PC on May 4.
- Season 2 of Marvel Rivals launched in April, introducing the new character Emma Frost.
- It's likely that more casual players are moving on from the title.
Despite recently kicking off its action-packed Season 2 update, Marvel Rivals has reached a new all-time low player count of 159,426. While an impressive number all things considered, this figure pales in comparison to where Marvel Rivals was on launch, as well as the months following. This new data suggests that a significant number of players have dropped Marvel Rivals, at least the PC version of the game, though this isn't to say they won't come back.
Marvel Rivals seems to be one of the biggest success stories in gaming recently, blending team-based, hero-shooter gameplay with the colorful and rich world of Marvel Comics. Players have their choice of friend or foe, with Marvel Rivals' roster featuring famous faces like Iron Man, Thor, and Spider-Man, as well as some deeper cuts like Jeff the Land Shark and Magik. It's the game's roster that truly sets Marvel Rivals apart, and is likely the thing that continues to bring in players on a daily basis. However, Marvel Rivals has seen a significant loss in its player count since release, reaching a new record low as the month of May kicks off.
Marvel Rivals' Biggest Victory is as Subtle as It Is Important
Comparisons between Marvel Rivals and Overwatch were always going to be inevitable, but NetEase has certainly surpassed Blizzard in one important way.
According to SteamDB, Marvel Rivals has reached a new all-time low player count of 159,426. This figure was recorded on May 4, which comes just a few weeks after the launch of the game's Season 2 update. There are a number of factors that could have resulted in this drop in players, with one of the longest-standing issues among the community being the role queue. Teamwork is a crucial part of the Marvel Rivals experience, though the game has faced criticism over stressing individual performance over class composition. Players have argued since the game's release that Marvel Rivals needs a role queue system, which could theoretically cut down on those impossible-feeling matches.
Marvel Rivals Drops to Lowest PC Player Count Ever
All-in-all, Marvel Rivals is down roughly 75% compared to its peak on Steam during the launch of Season 1. Marvel Rivals received high praise after launching, with the game peaking at over 600,000 concurrent Steam users back in December 2024. The game's unique art style, array of characters, and exciting game modes all played a part, with Marvel Rivals reaching over 40 million registered users by February 2025. While Marvel Rivals is seeing its lowest player counts on PC, the game is likely just shedding its most casual players, leaving it with a smaller, yet more consistent group of fans.
Marvel Rivals launched its Season 2 update in April, which has brought new ways to play as well as a number of new rewards to unlock. The biggest change so far with this update has been the arrival of Emma Frost, Marvel Rivals' newest character. Frost is not the only fresh face to join the roster in Season 2, with the highly anticipated Ultron expected to drop sometime this month. Season 2 is expected to last through July, giving players a significant chunk of time to tidy up their challenge lists, as well as unlock all the new items and skins currently available.
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
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 5
- Genre(s)
- Third-Person Shooter, Action, Multiplayer
