Weeks After Release, Marvel Rivals Still Averaging Over 300,000 Concurrent Players

Marvel Rivals has garnered an average of 300,000 concurrent players on Steam alone two weeks post its launch. The game is also accessible on PlayStation 5, Xbox, and Epic Game Store.

Many gamers have started comparing Marvel Rivals to Overwatch due to the similarity in core gameplay. Some have even predicted that the popularity of Marvel Rivals may result in the downfall of Overwatch. However, it’s premature to forecast the end of Overwatch, a game that has maintained its popularity for eight years since 2016.

Although Blizzard has not disclosed Overwatch’s playerbase numbers, it is known to average 28,000 players on Steam. Nevertheless, the majority of the players access the game off-Steam (on Battle.net launcher and console).

Marvel Rivals has emerged as the ninth most played game on Xbox, whereas Overwatch stands at the eighteenth position. This highlights the initial achievement of Marvel Rivals. However, it remains to be seen whether the game can sustain this popularity.

Marvel Rivals has received widespread approval on Steam with an average player evaluation of 9/10. However, issues have been reported with the game, one being the misleading inclusion of bots in PvP matches, whereby full teams of bots falsely appear to be players in quick play. This issue has instigated debates on Reddit here and here.

Placing ‘PvP’ modes with bots is a well-known practice in mobile games and is gaining popularity in PC and console games. The objective is to enhance the player experience, but the deceitful execution is awkward.

Much like Fortnite, it appears Marvel Rivals employs bots in quick play but abstains from using them in competitive mode.

Whether Marvel Rivals will successfully outshine Overwatch as the preferred hero shooter given its present momentum, only time will tell.