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 matches. However, the modding community quickly adapted, finding 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, featuring 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 large-scale ban wave targeting cheaters inadvertently penalized some legitimate players using non-Windows operating systems (like Linux or 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, a new trailer showcased Season 1 and its Fantastic Four heroes, who will battle both 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 heroes like Jeff, Venom, Groot, and Rocket.
[Read more: Marvel Rivals Winter Celebration Skins (MarvelRivals Twitter/X)]
December 11: While Marvel Rivals thrived, its competitor, 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 reached 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, offering players on the Epic Games Launcher a mission to unlock the Rivaled Sailer Glider.
[Read more: Marvel Rivals x Fortnite collaboration (MarvelRivals)]
July 25: Marvel Rivals' beta launch significantly outperformed its competitor, Concord. Within two days, Marvel Rivals achieved 50,000+ peak players, eclipsing Concord's meager 2,000+.
[Read more: Marvel Rivals’ Beta Surpasses Concord’s Player Count in Just Two Days (Game8)]
