Marvel Rivals player count drops by over 50% amid Season 2 backlash - Will Season 2.5 save it?

Marvel Rivals is seeing an all-time low player count, with more than half of its player base abandoning the game since January 2025. While this has raised concerns about the game’s future, many are convinced that it’s only a temporary drop before NetEase Games takes action and addresses popular community complaints and demands.
Marvel Rivals attracted over 10 million players within 72 hours of its launch on December 6, 2024. Ever since that day, the player count has only increased over time, with concurrent players reaching a record-breaking number of 644,269 on January 11, 2025. However, in a surprising turn of events, this player count has significantly dropped for the first time in the game's lifespan.



As of May 2025, Marvel Rivals' peak player count has dropped by 362,000 players since January 2025. It is a significant drop of 56.2% as inferred from the latest SteamDB data. Currently, the 24-hour peak count sits at 159,426 players as of May 5, 2024.
The loss in player count could be attributed to several factors in Marvel Rivals Season 2. While the numbers can seem a bit shocking given the immensely successful status of the game, the actual daily players aren’t surprised. They have been facing several issues in the latest season that contribute directly to this drop in player count in Marvel Rivals.


Marvel Rivals Season 2 has introduced quite a few questionable changes that the community isn’t quite happy about. From issues like smurfing to alienating balance changes, the latest update seems to have done the opposite of what NetEase Games intended. Let’s take a look at the reasons why people are quitting Marvel Rivals in Season 2.

Smurfing in Marvel Rivals has been a major concern this season. High-skilled players are constantly making new accounts and rolling over low-tier lobbies, making the game unpleasant and borderline unplayable at times.

The Marvel Rivals April 30 update significantly nerfs popular heroes like Doctor Strange and Spider-Man, making them ineffective in competitive matches. This disappoints a significant portion of the player base who mains these characters.
Furthermore, the changes impact the entire Strategists class, with their ineffectiveness being evident in the arena. This has caused many strategist mains to go on a community strike, which directly results in the lower player count.

Marvel Rivals Season 2 favours individual performance over team play when it comes to earning points at the end of the match. Duelists who naturally secure more kills tend to earn more points compared to Vanguards and Strategists. This disparity has raised frustration in the community.



NetEase Games has shown time and time again that player satisfaction and the game’s enjoyability are their top priority. Seeing the current trend and the community being vocal about these issues, it's only a matter of time before NetEase Games addresses these issues.
Furthermore, Marvel Rivals Season 2.5 is right around the corner, and with Ultron being anticipated as the new strategist hero, it can almost be said for certain that the players who left will come back to try him out.
The future of Marvel Rivals, thus, seems secure as NetEase Games strives to keep the game running for 10+ years.

Also read: How to complete all acts in the Marvel Rivals Hellfire Gala Moments Event - Full guide and all free rewards