Marvel's Newest Battle Line Drawn

Marvel Rivals News Roundup

2025

January 14: Marvel Rivals' Season 1 launch was a resounding success, prompting the announcement of a new hero every six weeks. Each two-month season will feature two new heroes. Season 1 uniquely released two heroes per half: Mister Fantastic and Invisible Woman initially, followed by Human Torch and the Thing.

[Read more: Marvels Rivals will add a new hero every 6 weeks (VideoGamesChronicle)]

January 13: Developers cracked down on unauthorized modifications (mods), specifically custom skins used in online play. Despite this, the modding community found ways to circumvent the restrictions.

[Read more: Despite Marvel Rivals' mod ban, fans of the hero shooter are dropping more custom skins than ever: “Modding Marvel Rivals lives on” (GamesRadar)]

January 13: The launch of Season 1, introducing the Fantastic Four, propelled Marvel Rivals to a peak player count exceeding 600,000.

[Read more: Marvel Rivals Reaches Player Count Milestone Again Following Rollout of Season 1 (Game8)]

January 6: A widespread ban wave targeting cheaters inadvertently affected innocent players using non-Windows operating systems like Linux or the Steam Deck. The developers swiftly reversed the bans and issued apologies.

[Read more: Marvel Rivals Apologizes for Banning Non-Cheaters (Game8)]

January 6: Following the Season 0 holiday break, Marvel Rivals unveiled a Season 1 trailer showcasing the new heroes. The Fantastic Four are pitted against two versions of Dr. Doom.

[Read more: Marvel Rivals Season 1 details and first trailer released (VideoGamesChronicle)]

2024

December 17: Holiday festivities included special winter-themed costumes and game modes for characters like Jeff, Venom, Groot, and Rocket.

[Read more: Marvel Rivals Winter Celebration Skins (MarvelRivals Twitter/X)]

December 11: While Marvel Rivals thrived, Overwatch 2 saw its Steam player count plummet to below 17,000, contrasting sharply with Marvel Rivals' consistent 200,000+ player base.

[Read more: Marvel Rivals Soars as Overwatch 2 Steam Player Count Falls (Game8)]

December 9: The near-simultaneous releases of Marvel Rivals and Path of Exile 2 created a gaming sensation. Marvel Rivals hit a peak of 480,000+ concurrent players, while Path of Exile 2 surpassed 570,000.

[Read more: PoE2 and Marvel Rivals Sets Gaming World Ablaze with Successful Weekend Launch (Game8)]

December 6: A collaboration with Fortnite was announced, allowing Epic Games Launcher players to earn the Rivaled Sailer Glider.

[Read more: Marvel Rivals x Fortnite collaboration (MarvelRivals)]

July 25: Marvel Rivals' beta significantly outperformed its competitor, Concord, achieving 50,000+ peak players within two days, compared to Concord's meager 2,000+.

[Read more: Marvel Rivals’ Beta Surpasses Concord’s Player Count in Just Two Days (Game8)]