Marvel Rivals puts DC between a rock and a hard place

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It feels like both of the major comic book brands have been trying to capture the live service space for a while now. Recently, DC tried to incite their audience with Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, while Marvel tried to create their own experience Marvel's Avengers. While both ended up falling out with gamers, that hasn't deterred Marvel as Marvel Rivals has seemingly exploded onto the scene. And because of its massive success, DC Comics may have a lot to prove going forward.




From now on, Marvel Rivals seems to be a huge sensation in the hero shooter market. Players seem to love its character roster, monetization has been a breath of fresh air, and the game seems to be hitting all the right notes. It remains to be seen if NetEase Games can build on that success, but if it can, DC Comics may need to come up with something fast or stay put.

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Marvel Rivals has succeeded where DC has struggled

DC has not had much luck in the Live-Service Space

Earlier this year, DC Comics attempted to dominate the live-action space with Rocksteady Studios' Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. The game was meant to mark the grand return of the universe created by Batman: Arkham series and deliver an experience for DC fans to flock to. However, it failed to make any sort of impact when it was finally launched. Players simply didn't care for its repetitive gameplay, the story was lacking compared to what had come before, and they weren't given a reason to come back for the post-launch seasons.


What was supposed to be DC's big live-service push ended up falling short of sales expectations, and it likely won't see many more seasons post-launch outside of what's already been revealed. Other than that, DC hasn't really had any major modern live service experiences for gamers to check out. DC Universe Online is still going strong, but that game is definitely past its prime. Outside of that, DC has appeared in MultiVersus and there have been countless mobile titles, but nothing has really compared to what Marvel Rivals have done.

Marvel Rivals has put Marvel on top

right now, Marvel Rivals seems to be a big hit for Marvel Comics and NetEase Games. Players love its gameplay, the characters have been a joy to control, and the gameplay has seemingly been exactly what fans of hero shooters have been looking for. While it remains to be seen if the studio can keep that hype train going with post-launch content, if it can, maybe Marvel can build on this for years to come.


Because of its success, Marvel seems to have nailed the live-action market before DC can. It has also struggled in the past with the likes of Marvel's Avengersbut Marvel Rivals has helped right that ship considerably. Gamers have now experienced what a superhero shooter and comic-based live-service game can be, which means DC will likely have a lot to prove as it attempts another live-service push. So if it wants to make its own mark, it needs to deliver something truly groundbreaking.

So far, there isn't much news about what DC's next live service attempt will be. Players really only know that The Wolf Among Us 2 and Wonder Woman looms on the horizon, but since the market for live services is extremely profitable, there will likely be another attempt at some point in the future. But if it can't push past the controversies about Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League and be on the same level as Marvel Rivalsthen it can also fall flat with its audience.

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