Marvel Rivals once burst onto the scene with enormous promise: a third-person, hero-based shooter featuring iconic characters from Marvel’s expansive universe. From the start, it drew direct comparisons to Blizzard’s Overwatch, right down to its core gameplay mechanics. Some even boldly called it the “Overwatch killer.” But now, less than a year since its explosive debut, its player count numbers are painting a far more concerning picture.
Steam showdown: Marvel Rivals ties Overwatch 2
Here’s something you don’t see every day: Marvel Rivals and Overwatch 2 are now neck-and-neck in terms of concurrent player counts on Steam. Notably, Steam isn’t even Overwatch 2’s main platform — it’s a secondary avenue compared to Battle.net, where the game mostly lives and breathes. And yet, Marvel Rivals has now sunk low enough to match Blizzard’s shooter on that less significant front.
We’re talking about 91,000 peak concurrent players today for Marvel Rivals, compared to Overwatch 2’s recent peak of 53,000. Sure, region-based timing affects these numbers. So does the seasonal cycle — Overwatch 2 just rolled out new content. But the bigger story lies in the dramatic decline Marvel Rivals is seeing in player engagement.
From Superpowered launch to faded hype
Let’s rewind for a moment. Right after its launch in December 2024, Marvel Rivals was white-hot. By January 2025, it was peaking at an incredible 644,000 concurrent players — a staggering achievement for a new multiplayer IP. Fast-forward to August 2025, and that number has plunged by a jaw-dropping 85%.
To be fair, player drops aren’t uncommon in gaming. A single-player game bleeding 95% of its audience after completion? Totally expected. But a live-service, multiplayer shooter built on seasonal updates, competitive ladders, and an ongoing content loop dropping this fast? That should be ringing alarm bells at NetEase HQ.
Can Marvel Rivals bounce back?
Let’s not write the eulogy just yet. While an 85% decrease is brutal, Marvel Rivals still sits above Overwatch 2’s Steam numbers, and that matters. The game clearly maintains a loyal base, and some seasonal events still bring bumps in activity. But here’s the catch: momentum is everything in live-service games. And Marvel Rivals isn’t just coasting: it’s sliding.
So why is that happening? On paper, Marvel has everything going for it: recognisable heroes, stylish map design, and fresh third-person dynamics that set it apart from the FPS staples. However, the content pipeline seems to focus heavily on flashy additions like bikini skins, which might drum up short-term buzz but do little for long-term retention.
Heroes alone won’t save it
Sure, Daredevil and Deadpool are on the horizon, and those names will undoubtedly spike interest. But relying solely on flashy new characters isn’t a sustainable fix. Without addressing deeper balance issues, progression systems, and rewarding core gameplay — you know, the kind of stuff that makes players stick around — there’s only so much more slack left in the rope.
MORE MARVEL RIVALS
Marvel Rivals was once cited as a rare success story in a multiplayer landscape littered with misfires. And while it might still claim that title in some circles, these user metrics highlight just how quickly favor can shift. After all, in the highly competitive world of online shooters, it’s not your opening salvo that matters: it’s your staying power.
No, it’s not “Doomed”… but it’s not safe, either
Is Marvel Rivals on the verge of disappearing? Probably not. But these numbers could represent a dangerous inflection point. What developers do next — whether that’s a big systems rework, a new content cadence, or a much-needed community engagement reset — will define whether this “Overwatch killer” truly lives up to its legacy, or becomes another short-lived comet in the multiplayer sky.