There’s another way to argue over who’s stronger between Spider-Man and Wolverine, and it’s already off to a flying start. Marvel Rivals, a free-to-play PvP game featuring all your favorite heroes and villains, spiked on Steam as soon as it launched, generating numbers that should make some peers sweat.
The multiplayer game takes the tried-and-tested hero shooter formula and applies it to the Marvel roster. You pick a character, jump in and start blasting your way to victory. It’s not hard to see why the free PC game would be an easy sell.
For a start, what’s cheaper than free, and Marvel canon has become supremely recognizable thanks to the MCU. That in conjunction with the unending arguments over who’s more powerful or the better ally in a fight, and you have a veritable hit on your hands. That said, NetEase Games probably wasn’t expecting the numbers Marvel Rivals has seen thus far.
In its first day, Marvel Rivals soared to 444,286 players within mere hours of launch. That’s since tapered off to over 200,000 at time of writing, according to SteamDB, an extremely strong number by any estimates.
The project is comfortably one of the biggest new games we’ve seen in 2024, and now very much something to keep an eye on. Blizzard’s Overwatch and its sequel have a rival and then some.
Currently, there are 33 Marvel Rivals characters, ranging from time-honored icons such as Iron Man, Hulk and Venom, to more obscure choices such as Squirrel Girl, Namor, and Cloak and Dagger. There’s a healthy selection, providing legs for this first sprint before we get to whatever updates are coming.
Pro-tip: Squirrel Girl is canonically one of the strongest Marvel characters. She’s defeated Thanos. She’s a young woman with the powers of a squirrel. Who messes around with squirrels? Expect her to start climbing the ranks soon.
Heroes and maps will be free, as monetization comes from cosmetics such as skins and other items that won’t impact what you can play as or how. The superhero game is available on Steam and Epic Games, so check out our Marvel Rivals tier list and Marvel Rivals codes guide for ways to get a leg up.
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