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Marvel Rivals, by the Chinese-based developer NetEase Games, has surpassed a noteworthy milestone of 10 million players a mere 72 hours after its launch on Dec 6. The game’s popularity has swiftly snowballed following impressive animated trailers and eye-catching redesigns of classic Marvel Comics characters. The game has received notable criticism for its similarity to Blizzard‘s Overwatch series which, following a controversial sequel, has left a hole in the market for many hero shooter fans.
Blizzard and its parent company, Activision, have been in constant controversy based not just on lackluster releases, but serious internal issues as well. For many fans, Marvel Rivals is providing a controversy and guilt-free outlet for them to enjoy their favorite genre. Marvel Rivals is going strong with many lauding it as an Overwatch killer. At the time of writing, Steam alone features half a million concurrent players.
NetEase Games Has a History With Blizzard Entertainment
The concept of a Marvel Comics hero shooter read to many players as a transparent cash grab, not dissimilar to how many companies will try to turn famous and profitable IPs into battle royales. The title thus far has been able to best that uphill battle with its clear passion for both the source material and genre. Every skin, character, and map is loaded with detail from the obvious to the obscure. While some characters feature similar abilities to staples from Overwatch, their overall movesets keep them unique while still wearing their inspirations on their sleeves.
What has likely helped most on the developmental side is that NetEase themselves used to work with Blizzard as a Chinese support company for titles like Overwatch, World of Warcraft, and StarCraft. Blizzard continues to be mired in controversy, even after its acquisition by Microsoft. NetEase, on the other hand, has seen massive success after Blizzard ended their 14-year deal.
The Future is Looking Bright for Marvel Rivals
Marvel Rivals is currently running its first season of content, Season 0: Dooms’ Rise. The story for this launch details how two versions of Doctor Doom, one from the classic universe and another from the far-flung future of 2099, have wreaked havoc upon reality, which allows for the time-bending matches featured in the game. The title launched with 33 playable characters who all feature unique and diverse movesets, with more to come in the future.
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10 Best Characters in Marvel Rivals (& Their Lore)
Marvel Rivals has just hit the gaming scene as one of the surprise hits of the year, but of its sizable roster, which characters are the best?
Recent leaks have shown a plethora of iconic characters that will be coming to the game likely within the next year. New maps have also been promised by the developers, and there’s a surprising amount of lore and story to sink into with the current release. Marvel Rivals is free to play on Steam, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series S/X and PSN users can even claim a unique Spider-Man skin based on Kane’s Scarlet Spider persona from the comics. Blizzard will certainly have some competition should player counts remain high moving into Christmas and the New Year.
Source: Bluesky
“}]] NetEase Games’ stylized hero shooter based on Marvel Comics characters impresses with a milestone player count. Read More