History of Marvel Rivals in Timeline

Marvel Rivals is a free-to-play hero shooter developed by NetEase Games in collaboration with Marvel Games. Released on December 6, 2024, for PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S, with a PlayStation 4 version following on September 12, 2025, it features cross-play across all platforms. The game includes a roster of 47 characters from the Marvel Comics universe.

March 27, 2024: Game Announcement

On March 27, 2024, Marvel Games first announced Marvel Rivals through a trailer.

August 5, 2024: Closed Beta Test Ends

The closed beta test for Marvel Rivals, which was available on both consoles and PC, concluded on August 5, 2024. The beta had started on July 23.

October 2024: PlayStation Partner Awards

Between October 2024 and September 2025, Marvel Rivals received a Grand Award at Sony's PlayStation Partner Awards 2025 in recognition of its status as one of the top five titles developed in the Japan / Asia regions with the highest worldwide sales.

Sony PlayStation 4 500GB Console (Renewed)

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November 16, 2024: Voice Over Options Confirmed

On November 16, 2024, it was confirmed that Marvel Rivals would feature an option to select between English, Japanese, or Mandarin voice overs at launch.

November 30, 2024: Launch Trailer Release

On November 30, 2024, less than a week before the game's release, the launch trailer for Marvel Rivals was released. The trailer showcased 5 new playable heroes that would be added upon launch.

December 6, 2024: Game Release for Multiple Platforms

On December 6, 2024, Marvel Rivals was released for PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S. The game is a free-to-play hero shooter developed by NetEase Games in collaboration with Marvel Games, featuring cross-play across supported platforms.

PlayStation®5 Digital Edition (slim)

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December 2024: Winter Celebration Event

In December 2024, Marvel Rivals launched its first Winter Celebration event. This included a limited-time 4v4 game mode similar to Splatoon, where players controlled Jeff the Land Shark and used its spit attack to cover the most area on a map. The event also featured themed cosmetics available for completing challenges.

January 2025: Season 1 Launch and Peak Player Count

Following the launch of Season 1 in January 2025, Marvel Rivals reached a peak of 644,269 concurrent players on Steam, becoming the 14th highest-ranking game on the platform by that metric. On the Newzoo chart, the game ranked 5th among the top 20 games by revenue for the same month in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Spain, and Italy.

January 2025: Winter Celebration Concludes

The Winter Celebration event ran from December 2024 to January 2025 and featured a 4v4 game mode and themed cosmetics

February 2025: Player Count Milestone

By February 2025, NetEase reported that Marvel Rivals had surpassed 40 million players worldwide.

June 26, 2025: Surrender System Update

On June 26, 2025, a patch made the surrender system more forgiving for teams with disconnected teammates. The voting threshold adjusts to the number of players remaining, receiving a positive reception from players.

September 12, 2025: PlayStation 4 Version Release

On September 12, 2025, Marvel Rivals was released for PlayStation 4.

Sony PlayStation 4 500GB Console (Renewed)

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September 2025: PlayStation Partner Awards

Sony PlayStation 4 500GB Console (Renewed)

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January 2026: Concurrent Player Increase

In January 2026, Marvel Rivals recorded more than 200,000 concurrent players following the launch of Season 6, marking an increase from Season 5's launch peak.