Since its explosive launch earlier this year, Marvel Rivals has undergone a dramatic shift in momentum. Once hailed as the next big thing in the hero shooter genre, the game surged to a massive all-time peak of 644,269 concurrent Steam players in January 2025. But as of June, that number has fallen sharply—hovering around 98,513 active players with a 24-hour peak of 129,865—marking a drop of over 80% in just five months.
This decline mirrors a common trend among live service shooters, where early excitement gives way to growing pains around balance, progression, and player retention. In Marvel Rivals’ case, the ranked mode has become a particular flashpoint. A disproportionate 1.2 million of the game’s estimated 3.8 million total players are currently stuck in Bronze 3, according to community reports. This bottleneck highlights deeper issues with the matchmaking system introduced during Season 1.5, where a lack of role queue and inconsistent skill-based pairing have left many players frustrated with their inability to climb.
Still, all is not lost. While the casual player base has shrunk considerably, a strong core of dedicated users remains. Most active players today fall within the Silver and Gold ranks, suggesting that despite its rough edges, Marvel Rivals has retained a committed competitive scene. Developer NetEase has responded with promises of fixes and content rollouts, including a revamped ranked experience and the introduction of new heroes in Season 3. The company’s challenge now is to stabilize and re-engage its fragmented audience before more players drift away.
You can see the chart of the player counts from SteamDB showing a pretty pronounced downtrend (with spikes when new content is released):
Source: SteamDB.info
The decline may be steep, but Marvel Rivals still holds one of the higher concurrent player counts among new hero shooters. Whether it rebounds or continues its slide will likely depend on how fast—and how meaningfully—NetEase addresses its core systems.
Key Takeaways
- Marvel Rivals now averages around 98,513 concurrent players on Steam, with a daily peak of 129,865.
- The game’s all-time peak was 644,269 concurrent players in January 2025—marking a 500K+ decline since launch.
- Roughly 1.2 million players remain stuck in Bronze 3, creating a skewed ranked experience and progression concerns.
- Silver and Gold ranks remain the most populated tiers among current ranked participants.
Marvel Rivals Game Overview
Marvel Rivals entered the hero shooter scene with enormous hype, drawing millions of players thanks to its popular IP and polished gameplay. Regular updates, seasonal content, and a roster of beloved characters helped it surge early on. But as with many online games, sustaining that momentum has proven challenging over time.
Gameplay and Mechanics
The game emphasizes fast-paced team combat with a roster of Marvel heroes and villains, each offering distinct abilities and ultimate powers. Strategy, synergy, and map awareness play a crucial role, especially in ranked play. Maps feature destructible elements that evolve mid-match, keeping players engaged with shifting battle dynamics.
Multiple game modes—including ranked, team deathmatch, and objective-based matches—offer replay value, but the current matchmaking system has come under scrutiny for trapping players in early ranks with limited upward mobility.
Hero Shooter Genre Comparisons
While comparisons to Overwatch 2 are inevitable, Marvel Rivals separates itself with its use of Marvel’s cinematic and comic book lore. Powers feel tailored to the source material, and team compositions can reflect canonical alliances—or shake them up entirely.
Unlike games like Apex Legends or Valorant, Marvel Rivals avoids deep progression trees and instead focuses on moment-to-moment combat and dynamic map interactions. This design appeals to casual and competitive players alike but also leads to a steeper learning curve for newcomers.
Despite early momentum, the game’s Steam player count has dropped significantly. The current concurrent average sits under 100,000, a steep fall from January’s peak. However, console numbers and total registered players across platforms still contribute to the larger ecosystem.
NetEase Games Partnership
NetEase Games’ partnership with Marvel has paid off in visibility and brand recognition. The company continues to roll out seasonal content and themed skins, often timed with major MCU releases and events. NetEase also reported that Marvel Rivals helped them reach over $2.9 billion in revenue this year, cementing the game’s financial impact despite its waning Steam activity.
The team remains active in addressing feedback, with a ranked system overhaul reportedly in development. Season 3 is expected to introduce new heroes and modes aimed at reinvigorating the player base.
Player Engagement and Metrics
Player behavior metrics reveal that while overall concurrent numbers have declined, session lengths and match participation among core players remain strong. Ranked matches still see tens of thousands of daily participants, and limited-time events drive surges in short-term engagement.
Ranked Mode Breakdown
The most revealing data point is the stagnation in Bronze 3. Whether due to matchmaking flaws, difficulty spikes, or player drop-off, this bottleneck in progression is shaping the competitive meta and contributing to frustration among new players.
NetEase has hinted at major improvements in the ranked experience for Season 3, with expected changes to placement logic and tier thresholds. Player feedback on Reddit and community forums continues to call for stricter matchmaking criteria and role-based queues.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the current player count for Marvel Rivals?
As of June 2025, Marvel Rivals has around 98,513 active Steam players, with a 24-hour peak of 129,865 and a historical peak of 644,269 concurrent users in January 2025.
Why are so many players stuck in Bronze 3?
Nearly a third of all players remain in Bronze 3 due to early matchmaking issues, skill disparities, and system design flaws that discourage ranked progression. NetEase has acknowledged the issue and is reportedly working on a fix.
Is Marvel Rivals still worth playing?
If you enjoy team-based shooters and are a fan of Marvel characters, the game still offers compelling action, seasonal events, and regular updates. However, competitive players may find the ranked system lacking until improvements roll out later in 2025.
How does Marvel Rivals compare to Overwatch 2?
Marvel Rivals currently holds its own in terms of engagement and polish but lags behind Overwatch 2 in terms of sustained player base size and esports infrastructure. That said, its Marvel-themed mechanics and visuals give it unique appeal among fans.
