Marvel Rivals Season 9 Adds X-Men Roster, Hits 2.1M Concurrent Players on Launch Weekend

Marvel Rivals, the hero-shooter from NetEase, hit 2.1 million concurrent players across PC and console during the launch weekend of its Season 9 update on Saturday and Sunday, the company confirmed on Monday. The new season adds six playable X-Men characters, a Krakoa-themed map, and a long-requested rework of the game's ranked mode.

What's in Season 9

The six new characters are Wolverine, Storm, Jean Grey, Cyclops, Rogue, and Gambit — a roster that mirrors the «classic» 90s-era X-Men lineup and that fans have been requesting since the game's 2024 launch. The Krakoa map is a three-lane control map with destructible environments and a dynamic weather system tied to which heroes are alive. The ranked rework introduces a seven-tier system with a visible «ranked rating» number at every tier, replacing the old opaque placement system.

「The X-Men have been our most-requested addition since day one. The 2.1 million concurrent number is the highest single-weekend peak in the game's history,」 said a NetEase Games spokesperson.

Why the X-Men Matters

The X-Men roster brings Marvel Rivals to parity with the only other major hero-shooter, Overwatch 2, in terms of brand recognition. NetEase's bet is that the X-Men pull will outlast the novelty spike and convert into sustained play, particularly in the casual console segment where the property has historically performed well.

The Bigger Picture

Marvel Rivals launched in December 2024 and has been one of the few live-service games to maintain a stable player base through year two. Season 9's launch weekend number is roughly 30% above the previous peak from the Season 4 update in late 2025. NetEase has not yet announced a Season 10 or a 2027 roadmap, but the launch result gives the company a strong position heading into the Q3 reporting period.