Marvel Rivals Stuns With 10 Million Players In First Weekend

Marvel Rivals has drawn an impressive 10 million players across platforms in its first weekend.

The free-to-play six-on-six team shooter from NetEase Inc NTES launched last Friday on PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store, as well as PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S.

See Also: NetEase’s Marvel Rivals Launches With 444,000 Players On Steam

NetEase announced the milestone at midnight, confirming the game's strong start as players worldwide joined the action-packed battles featuring Marvel's iconic characters.

🎉 In just 72 hours, we've reached an incredible milestone of 10 million players worldwide! 🎉

We want to extend our heartfelt thanks to each and every one of you. 🫶

Let's ignite the battle together! 💖#MarvelRivals pic.twitter.com/5njTulx24e

— Marvel Rivals (@MarvelRivals) December 9, 2024

Fan-Favorite Heroes Take Center Stage

The game's roster includes popular Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) heroes like Iron Man, Hulk, and Scarlet Witch, along with comic-book favorites such as Cloak and Dagger, Iron Fist, and Squirrel Girl. Players have praised the mix of well-known characters and lesser-seen heroes, with many hoping Squirrel Girl might finally get her MCU debut.

Marvel Rivals' gameplay has been compared to Blizzard's Overwatch, now owned by Microsoft Corp. MSFT, due to its team-based structure and character-specific abilities. Fans have noted the similarities, though many have also welcomed the new take on the hero shooter format.

Controversy Over Character Design

Former Blizzard president Mike Ybarra sparked debate over the weekend by calling Marvel Rivals an “Overwatch copycat.”

He also suggested the design of Black Widow—a character created in 1964 by Marvel legend Stan Lee—bore similarities to Overwatch's sniper hero, Widowmaker. Fans quickly responded, defending Marvel's decades-long legacy.

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