Marvel Rivals Shatters Player Count Record with Season 1 Launch
The free-to-play team-based shooter, Marvel Rivals, has achieved a new peak concurrent player count following the release of Season 1: Eternal Night Falls. The game saw a staggering 644,269 concurrent players on January 11th, significantly surpassing its previous record of 480,990 set during its launch week.
Season 1: A Night of New Content
Launched on January 10th, Season 1 introduced a wealth of new content designed to captivate players. This includes:
- New playable characters
- A brand-new map
- Game performance improvements and optimizations
- A revamped ranked tier system
- An exciting new Battle Pass
The influx of fresh content fueled the massive surge in concurrent players over the weekend. The Eternal Night Falls theme, featuring Dracula and Doctor Doom as antagonists and the Fantastic Four as new allies, clearly resonated with the fanbase.
For detailed patch notes, including specific character adjustments, visit the official Marvel Rivals website or the Steam community hub.
Update Impacts Fan-Made Content
While the Season 1 update brought joy to many, it also resulted in the removal of fan-created content, specifically mods. The implementation of asset hash checking now flags any unauthorized modifications, including custom skins and other alterations, potentially leading to warnings or bans.
This change has sparked a mixed reaction within the community. While some mourn the loss of custom creations like Luna Snow's Hatsune Miku skin, others see it as a necessary step to maintain fairness and prevent cheating in a free-to-play game reliant on cosmetic purchases.
