6 Months Ago, If You’d Have Told Me Marvel Rivals Will Break an Insane Record Despite Being Free to Play

NetEase Games’ Marvel Rivals was released in the first week of December 2024 and instantly became a hit among gamers all over the world. On multiple occasions, fans of different live service games engaged in arguments about revenue, but finally, the stats are out and Marvel Rivals is the clear winner, ending all the debates.

This is certainly a great achievement, primarily because Marvel Rivals is a free-to-play game. No one would’ve predicted this as many highly-anticipated titles were released this year. The Xbox Game Pass allowed players to experience some of these titles on day one, yet Marvel Rivals has emerged as the winner. Despite modders taking away a chunk of its revenue, the game has managed to beat many popular live-service video games.

For many years, many well-known franchises have been dominating the list of games generating the most revenue. However, this year a new name appeared in the list: Marvel Rivals. As per a recent report by Newzoo, Marvel Rivals has claimed the 6th spot in the overall revenue and engagement charts for December 2024. Path of Exile 2 was another newcomer on the list and gave Marvel Rivals a tough fight.

The game has successfully managed to get a better rank than AAA titles like Cyberpunk 2077, Baldur’s Gate 3, and Hogwarts Legacy, which returned to the list thanks to heavy discounts. If we further compare Marvel Rivals to other free-to-play games, it’s clear that the game has earned the top 2 spot, because beating Epic Games’ Fortnite will take some time. Still, it is remarkable because the game was only released recently.

In just one month, the game has earned a massive fanbase and the future is looking bright. It’s crazy because the game is often compared to Overwatch 2, a game that couldn’t make it to the top 20. Yes, Marvel Rivals shares some elements from the game, however, it took things to the next level. Its unique roster of heroes from the Marvel Universe, combat system, visuals, and mechanics are a few things that have been praised by fans.

Like almost every free-to-play game, Marvel Rivals also generates revenue through battle pass, skins, banners, etc. By introducing different skins for iconic Marvel heroes, Marvel Rivals has managed to convince many fans to buy skins.

In fact, modding was a major issue for NetEase Games as players were able to get skins that were behind a paywall. With the season 1 update, NetEase Games tried to put an end to mods, however, there was a boost in the number of mods that were created after the update was rolled out.