Marvel Rivals Hits 40M Players Despite Controversy

Despite recent speculation about a potential decline, *Marvel Rivals*, the popular multiplayer shooter, is thriving more than ever. NetEase's latest financial report, as highlighted by market analyst Daniel Ahmad, proudly announced that the game has now surpassed an impressive milestone of 40 million players. However, detailed insights into this achievement remain undisclosed, and the game's developers are yet to make a public statement on this significant accomplishment.

Image: ensigames.com

The news of *Marvel Rivals*'s success has stirred a variety of reactions among its fanbase. While a large portion of the community is celebrating this continued growth, there's a noticeable undercurrent of concern. This stems from recent layoffs affecting the U.S.-based support team for the game. Some players have voiced their support for rehiring the original creators who played a pivotal role in the game's rise to fame. Others have taken to social media to humorously speculate about the possibility of more layoffs amidst the game's soaring popularity.

These layoffs, according to reports, were part of a strategy for "development efficiency optimization." This has led to speculation that NetEase might be shifting focus towards their Chinese development teams. Despite these challenges, the future remains promising for *Marvel Rivals*. Fans can look forward to a wealth of new content, including the eagerly anticipated addition of fan-favorite characters such as Human Torch, Thing, and Blade. Excitingly, Human Torch and Thing are slated to make their debut in the game this Friday, February 21st.