Since the developer and publisher NetEase Games shared the trailer for its upcoming hero shooter based on the Marvel Universe, expectations have been very high, and not just because of the use of characters from Marvel franchises but also due to the innovations it plans to introduce in a genre flooded with very similar games. This team-based competitive third-person shooter, in the style of Overwatch, holds a lot of promise, with destructible environments and combinable special attacks bringing a breath of fresh air to a field overwhelmed with clones. Best of all, it will be free to play. Its closed beta began on July 23, and thanks to the large number of concurrent players, everything suggests that the release (currently without a confirmed date) will be a success.
The closed beta of Marvel Rivals exceeds 50,000 concurrent players
On July 22, the closed beta of Marvel Rivals began, and within just a few hours, it exceeded 52,000 concurrent players on Steam. While this is already an impressive figure, we must also consider the players on Xbox and PlayStation, as there is no official information on those numbers. Although the game has yet to reach its peak player count again, the graphs show a steady trend of over 20,000 concurrent players until the end of the closed beta on August 5.
How can you access the closed beta of Marvel Rivals?
Initially, you could register for the closed beta through the official website of the game, though that option has since been disabled. However, if you visit the game’s Steam store page, you can find a link with all the necessary information. Through Valve’s store page, you can request access to the beta, but this does not guarantee immediate access. Console players, on the other hand, must complete a registration form. Another option is to receive it via Twitch Drops by watching a stream of the title and getting lucky. Lastly, if a friend has already gained beta access and reached level 10 on their account, they can send you an invitation code to join.
What content does the closed beta of Marvel Rivals include?
Obviously, since this is a beta, not all content is available from the beginning, but there is enough to give us a good idea of what to expect in the full version upon release.
Available characters in the closed beta of Marvel Rivals
- Adam Warlock
- Black Panther
- Doctor Strange
- Groot
- Hela
- Hulk
- Iron Man
- Loki
- Luna Snow
- Magik
- Magneto
- Mantis
- Namor
- Peni Parker
- Punisher
- Rocket Raccoon
- Star-Lord
- Storm
- Scarlet Witch
- Spider-Man
- Venom
Available maps in the closed beta of Marvel Rivals
- Yggsgard: Yggdrasill Path
- Yggsgard: Royal Palace
- Tokyo 2099: Shin-Shibuya
- Tokyo 2099: Spider-Islands
Available game modes in the closed beta of Marvel Rivals
- Convoy
- Domination
- Convergence
Concord’s open beta on Steam points to a bad launch
Another studio seeking to jump on the hero shooter bandwagon is Firewalk Studios, a company founded in 2018 by veterans from Bungie and Activision who worked on Destiny. It was a subsidiary of Probably Monsters before being acquired by Sony in April of last year. We’re talking about a studio with experience in the development of multiplayer shooting games, which should guarantee a certain level of quality for its upcoming project.
The official announcement of Concord took place during last year’s PlayStation Direct, via a trailer of less than a minute that only showed a brief CGI sequence. It didn’t clarify anything about the type of game it was. We had to wait until this year’s State of Play in May to see some gameplay, preceded once again by a rather long CGI cinematic with a strong Guardians of the Galaxy vibe.
From July 12 to 14, those who pre-ordered the game could access a closed beta. Subsequently, from July 18 to 21, an open beta was held on both PlayStation 5 and PC. While, as usual, there’s no information on active player counts for the console beta, there are data for Steam, and the numbers are rather concerning. On Valve’s platform, its peak concurrent players have been just 2,388. While it is likely that the title’s main focus is on consoles, the low player count on PC seems to reflect a lack of real interest from players on that platform for this new competitor to Overwatch and Valorant. One reason is likely the saturation of this genre, but another significant factor is that this game will not be free. Those wishing to play must pay €40 to get the standard digital version. This could deter many players, especially considering the abundance of top-tier free options. Being a team-based multiplayer game, concurrent player numbers are crucial to its success. A poor start doesn’t necessarily mean it’s all over, but it’s worrying given how close the official release date of August 23 is. The next few weeks will be crucial for the future of this title and its developer, as this would be the first game released under this label.
Player comparison between the Marvel Rivals and Concord betas
The graph speaks for itself. The number of concurrent players between these contenders is night and day. Marvel Rivals surpassed the 50,000 mark on its first day, while Concord barely managed to exceed 2,000. The next round will take place at the end of this month when Firewalk Studios’ title launches, potentially generating better results. Meanwhile, Marvel Rivals has yet to announce a release date, but its numbers are already far superior, even approaching those achieved by Overwatch 2 on Valve’s platform. Of course, Blizzard’s numbers are higher than reflected on the graph, since it doesn’t account for data from other platforms.
