NetEase’s Marvel Rivals took over Steam’s global sales charts in December, reaching 10 million players in just three days. The game stayed strong and climbed back to the top in January after launching its first season.
Financial Performance and Team Restructuring
NetEase saw strong financial results in Q4 2023, earning RMB21.2 billion (US$2.9 billion) from games and services, a 1.5% increase from last year. But this growth also came with some team changes. Game director Thaddeus Sasser shared that he and several American team members were let go from the Marvel Rivals team. NetEase said the decision was made to improve the game’s development process.
Record-Breaking Player Engagement
Marvel Rivals’ first season launch was a big moment, drawing 644,269 players at the same time on Steam. This put the game at number 14 on Steam’s all-time highest player count list, beating popular games like Apex Legends, Path of Exile 2, Helldivers 2, and GTA 5.
There’s talk that NetEase might be cutting back on its North American operations, but the company denies it. Recently, they parted ways with Vancouver-based Worlds Untold, founded with Mass Effect writer Mac Walters in 2023, and Seattle-based Jar of Sparks, started by Xbox veteran Jerry Hook in 2022.
