Marvel Rivals Player Count Is Way Up

Marvel Rivals sees its player base surge following the recent Halloween update, which added a highly requested PvE-specific game mode. Following the launch of Season 4 and the additions of Dardevil and Angela, Marvel Rivals is leaning into one of its most popular limited-time events in a long time.

Following a massive launch window late in 2024, Marvel Rivals saw its Steam player base drop 86% by August, an alarming stat for a live service game. The struggles have seemingly resulted from a mix of issues, such as performance and balancing issues, while some players have been less than enthused by some changes developer NetEase has made to the matchmaking system. However, even with these challenges, it seems Marvel Rivals has found a potential formula for winning back many disillusioned players.

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By Richard Warren

Marvel Rivals Sees Player Count Nearly Double on Steam

As part of its Halloween update, Marvel Rivals added its first PvE-specific game mode. The Zombies co-op mode lets 4 players go up against waves of zombie enemies and boss fights against an UNdead Namor and the Queen of the Dead. What adds a bit of intrigue to this game mode is that players can build their character through upgrades and changeable abilities. It appears this new mode has really resonated with fans as the game quickly spiked to over 120,000 players, with many on social media also praising the mode's addition.

Marvel Rivals reveals Marvel Zombies PvE Horde Mode

Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like Zombies will be a permanent addition as many want, with a current end date of November 13. For now, though, while fans can have some fun with friends in the Zombies mode, the Halloween update for Marvel Rivals is giving players a free skin. By completing missions, players can take part in the Voyage to Astonish Event, earning free rewards by moving around the game board, including unlocking the Blade Knight costume completely for free.

marvel-rivals-vs-overwatch-2-halloween-content-game-rant-7 — Marvel rivals blade skin

Leaning into making its players happy seems to be a priority for NetEase, as the studio is also working on another highly anticipated feature. Marvel Rivals now has cross-progression, though in a very limited form at the moment. Although it launched on October 23, cross-progression is only available in Early Access for approved players who applied to join. If everything goes smoothly, the plan seems to be releasing it to all players with Season 5 in November.

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