Marvel Rivals, NetEase’s Free-to-Play Superhero Shooter, Reaches 20 Million Players Within 11 Days of Launch

Marvel Rivals, the free-to-play superhero PvP shooter, has hit 20 million players in less than two weeks of launch, developer NetEase Games, confirmed Tuesday. The Overwatch-inspired 6v6 team-based shooter reached the milestone in just 11 days after it launched December 6 across PC, PS5 and Xbox Series S/X. The live service title has become a huge hit owing to its deep roster of Marvel superheroes and fast-paced gameplay.

Marvel Rivals Reaches 20 Million Players

NetEase, the Chinese studio that has developed and published Marvel Rivals, made the announcement on X (formerly Twitter) Tuesday. “We are thrilled to announce that 20 million players have joined Marvel Rivals! Our gratitude for each of you is immense!,” the company said via the official Marvel Rivals account.

To mark the occasion, the studio also released a commemorative spray, which includes the milestone number. The in-game item is now live, and players can log in between December 20 and January 10 to claim it.

Marvel Rivals had reached 10 million players within 72 hours of launch. The player numbers are counted across Steam and Epic Games Store on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series S/X.

Winter Celebration Update

NetEase is also set to roll out a Marvel Rivals content update for the holiday season. The Winter Celebration update will bring special holiday-themed costumes, new game modes and a few surprises, the studio said earlier this week.

The update will add a new game mode, called ‘Jeff’s Winter Splash Festival’ and a special winter greeting card with gifts from Jeff the Land Shark. Winter Celebration will begin rolling out Thursday, December 19, at 11 pm PST (Friday, 12:30 pm IST).

Marvel Rivals launched as a free-to-play title across PC, PS5 and Xbox Series S/X on December 6. The game lets players take part in 6v6 squad-based matches across different maps, very much like Overwatch. Marvel Rivals currently features a roster of 33 Marvel Comics characters, including popular superheroes like Spider-Man, Thor, Iron Man, Black Panther, Captain America, Black Widow, Hulk, Star-Lord, Venom, Wolverine and more.