After just one month, the hit free-to-play game, Marvel Rivals, is already proving that a free game can be extremely profitable for developers. The third-person hero shooter was released just a little over a month ago, on December 6, 2024, and has quickly gained a large and devoted player base. Live-service games and the concept of in-game microtransactions have become more common over recent years, and it seems that Marvel Rivals has managed to circumvent much of the negativity these models can often carry and has become something players are happy to spend on.
As reported in an article by 80 Level, current estimates show that Marvel Rivals has earned around $136 million in just one month and is on track to become one of the biggest live-service games available. Over the weeks since its launch, the number of players has continued to grow rather than dropping off as many games do after the initial hype has passed. Even when facing difficulties with crashes and server disconnects, players keep coming back to this team-based PvP title and happily offer up some money to make their experiences even better with fresh cosmetics.
News Reports Show That Marvel Rivals Is Really Raking In The Dough
The Free-To-Play Game Has Certainly Done Well For Itself
In the article on 80 Level, the numbers are broken down to show that Marvel Rivals has brought in around $54.5 million on Steam, $27.3 million on PlayStation, and $2.7 million on Xbox, plus more from the Chinese server operated by NetEase for a total of roughly $136 million. As a free-to-play game, all revenue comes from players purchasing cosmetics either through the in-game store or the seasonal battle pass, which offers a variety of rewards for playing.
Marvel Rivals is already making waves in the hero shooter scene, with this minor change giving the game a huge advantage over the competition.
These days, most games seem to offer a battle pass system which can give mixed results from players. Marvel Rivals has streamlined the process of their battle pass and made it so that all heroes are available for all players without the need to purchase anything. These changes, plus the overall quality of the game experience, have led to players being more willing to give some money here and there for cosmetics they want.
Our Take: Fans Seem To Love The Battle Pass And Costumes In Marvel Rivals
The Mantis Skin Especially Struck A Cord With Players
In a Reddit thread started by UsualInitial, fans of the game discussed how many of them didn't expect to spend any money on the game but were swayed by the quality of the cosmetics offered in the battle pass and the desire to support the game overall. Several commenters mentioned how they have had so many hours worth of fun in Marvel Rivals that they felt good about spending $5 on it.
One comment from AnOddSprout summed up the general consensus well as a player who doesn't usually buy battle passes but felt good about their purchase here.
The successful result that Marvel Rivals is showing could be a literal game-changer for future live-service titles if things continue the way they seem to be headed. Players have been happier and able to enjoy the game on their terms, and developers are turning a profit, giving a perfect win-win for the PvP title. Only time will tell if Marvel Rivals continues to do this well in the future, but it is off to a good start at least.
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