Marvel Rivals Was Almost Canceled by NetEase

Marvel Rivals, the smash-hit hero shooter from NetEase Games that launched last December, may have been close to being canceled before it ever saw its release, according to a new report. Marvel Rivals has made a lot of money for NetEase in less than three months, and while its future seems solid now, its early ties to Disney reportedly could have stopped it from being launched altogether.

The game became an instant hit for NetEase when it launched on December 6, 2024, generating peak concurrent player numbers in excess of 444,000 within its first 24 hours of availability and being played by more than 10 million players within its first three days, dominating Steam’s user charts. More recently, Marvel Rivals reached another player milestone, with an earnings call confirming that its maximum player count had climbed to 40 million.

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Former Marvel Rivals Director Was Responsible For a Unique Feature

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In a new report released by Bloomberg, an unnamed source with apparent ties to NetEase stated that the game’s development was nearly cut short by founder William Ding, claiming he was reluctant to pay Disney for the rights to use the names and likenesses of the heroes and villains of the Marvel Comics universe to fill out the Marvel Rivals roster. Another claim coming from this same source is that Ding also toyed with the idea of continuing the game’s development without any connection to Marvel and Disney, asking NetEase’s in-house artists to create their own original brand of superheroes to replace the Marvel characters that were already being developed for the game. A spokesperson for the publisher/developer has reportedly denied both of these claims and emphasized a longstanding positive working relationship between NetEase and Disney.

Marvel Rivals Could Have Been Axed Before Launch

Marvel Rivals has reportedly earned more than $200 million since its launch, but that financial success hasn’t fully saved it from NetEase’s cost-cutting measures. Earlier this week, Marvel Rivals was hit with layoffs, as now former game director Thaddeus Sasser reported that NetEase had cut his US-based team in Seattle from the company’s roster. The layoffs were surprising to many fans and industry analysts due to the game’s massive popularity and profitability in spite of NetEase’s December-quarter sales figures that reportedly showed gross profit falling by about 2.6%, and they have left fans of the game concerned about its future.

Shortly following the announcement by the former game director, NetEase publicly commented on the Marvel Rivals layoffs, confirming that the entire Seattle-based studio had been eliminated. However, the publisher also assured players that the China-based development team was still hard at work and that new playable characters, stages, and more will be coming to the free-to-play hero shooter.

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Marvel Rivals is a Super Hero Team-Based PVP Shooter!
Assemble an all-star Marvel squad, devise countless strategies by combining powers to form unique Team-Up skills and fight in destructible, ever-changing battlefields across the continually evolving Marvel universe!

A Deep and Varied Marvel Roster
Choose from a vast array of fan-favorite and cult-classic Marvel Super Heroes and Super Villains from across the Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, X-Men, and many more from across the Marvel Multiverse.

Fast and Fun 6v6 Action with Ever-Changing Game Dynamics
With intricate environments, fast-paced gameplay, and ever-changing battlefields, there’s never a dull moment in Marvel Rivals! Battle as Super Heroes and Super Villains with incredible abilities and combine your powers to bring unexpected fun to the battlefield in a matter of seconds.

Dynamic Hero Synergy
Coordinate unique combinations between characters to ignite surprising Team-Up Skills! Unleash the synergy of combined superpowers and invent new tactics that can turn the tide of combat. Ride on Groot’s back as Rocket Raccoon to take on your enemies as a dangerous duo, unleash Gamma energy as Hulk to charge Iron Man’s armor for massive damage, and so much more!

Creative Environment Destruction
Tear your way through iconic Marvel worlds across destructible environments! From Asgard to the Tokyo of 2099, use superpowers to alter these environments, reshape the terrain, and craft a strategic advantage on the battlefield! Take cover to dodge attacks or use makeshift weapons to strike down enemies. Players will find countless ways to utilize the environment to claim victory!

Continually Evolving Universe and Robust Post-Launch Updates
The Marvel Multiverse brings infinite possibilities! Each seasonal drop will introduce new Super Heroes to the battlefield along with challenging and diverse maps! Unlock new content to implement across various gameplay strategies while experiencing thrilling action and endless possibilities in these adventurous team battles!

Third-Person Shooter

Action

Multiplayer

Released

December 6, 2024

ESRB

T For Teen // Violence

Developer(s)

NetEase Games

Publisher(s)

NetEase Games