The Steam player count for Marvel Rivals has dropped significantly since its peak earlier this year, with the once-explosive hero shooter now seeing nearly 90% fewer players than at launch. The game, which features a roster of popular Marvel characters, quickly established itself as one of the most played competitive shooters when it debuted in January. Within three days, Marvel Rivals surpassed 10 million global players and generated more than $135 million in its first month. However, its current player base is far below those record-breaking highs.
While the initial reception was strong, Marvel Rivals has faced challenges in maintaining momentum. The game has received an increase in negative reviews citing balancing issues and performance problems. Developer NetEase Games also made a controversial adjustment to the matchmaking system, restricting higher-rank team sizes, which was met with community backlash.
Recent statistics from SteamDB highlight the scale of the decline. Over the last 24 hours, the peak player counts for Marvel Rivals reached 87,948, a steep 86% drop compared to its January all-time peak of 644,269. Despite the decline, the game still ranks among Steam’s top 10 most-played titles.
Experts suggest the reduction is partly due to natural player drop-off after launch, compounded by frustrations with updates and balancing. Even so, Marvel Rivals continues to evolve. Reports indicate Deadpool may soon join the game’s roster, teased through recently uncovered voicelines. Additionally, NetEase is preparing for the launch of Season 4 in early September, offering new content aimed at retaining its dedicated player base.
