Marvel Rivals Soars to 40M Players, Adds Fantastic Four Heroes

One of the world’s most popular games at the moment, Marvel Rivals by NetEase Games, has surpassed 40 million players globally, making it one of the most-played games across all platforms. The game is preparing for a midseason update, introducing characters The Thing and Human Torch, who are part of the Fantastic Four joining the game this season.

Lately, I got an opportunity to explore a pre-release version of the upcoming update for Marvel Rivals. I had a hands-on experience with the last two members of Marvel’s original team, testing their abilities alongside the existing diverse roster.

As a Duelist, Johnny Storm (also known as the Human Torch), unleashes flames on the battlefield, making him an excellent choice for attacking enemies from afar. He swiftly advances towards the backline, then retreats to safety after the attack. His skill of linking multiple fire attacks on the ground is ideal for obstructing enemy Strategists and trapping Vanguards, leading them towards their demise.

Simultaneously, Ben Grimm, also known as The Thing, serves as a relentless Vanguard, capable of matching strength with giants like The Hulk and Venom in combat. A powerful charge sends opponents flying high, allowing me to keep enemies airborne repeatedly with precise timing. Although Ben’s standard movement speed may not be impressive, his unyielding presence on the front line more than compensates for it, making him a formidable adversary.

This double-feature addition to Marvel Rivals Season 1’s latter half is truly noteworthy! I’m eagerly anticipating the variety of team combinations that will arise as players experiment with these two new heroes. Already, my mind is buzzing with ideas – imagine a team consisting entirely of the Fantastic Four, with Spider-Man and Luna Snow by their side, or the chilling sight of The Hulk, The Thing, and Thor charging towards an enemy simultaneously!

Additionally, it’s worth mentioning that Marvel Rivals has recently added support for NVIDIA DLSS 4, enhancing performance for those who own the most advanced graphics cards. This update could provide an edge to early adopters of new GPU technology.

Despite this, I’m experiencing a blend of emotions about the timing of this update, given that it follows the announcement of the dismissal of the American team behind Marvel Rivals from NetEase Games, reasons for which remain unspecified at present.

Daniel Ahmad from Niko Partners posits that while the escalating geopolitical issues between the U.S. and China might contribute to this action, the situation is more intricately layered. Instead, it appears that this move is primarily a strategy for NetEase to streamline its international business, focusing on centralizing development teams within China.

The primary causes might be intricate, but the final outcome isn’t, as more skilled employees find themselves unemployed following their work on one of last year’s most successful games. This layoff occurs when many others in the gaming industry are still grappling to secure new job opportunities, with thousands still searching.

So far, I’ve been thoroughly enjoying Marvel Rivals, and I can’t wait to add the Human Torch and The Thing to my roster when they become available. However, it’s unrealistic to expect that a team behind a successful game like this will automatically keep their positions.

More and more, the threat of job cuts looms large across the gaming sector, and if we don’t take action, this trend is set to continue.

At present, you can play Marvel Rivals for free on Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, and PlayStation 5. The latest Season 1.5 update, which goes live on February 21, 2025, introduces two new characters: The Human Torch and The Thing.

2025-02-21 01:09

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