Marvel Rivals Puts DC Between a Rock and a Hard Place

It feels like both major comic book brands have been attempting to capture the live-service space for a while now. Recently, DC tried to excite its audience with Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, while Marvel attempted to craft its own experience through Marvel’s Avengers. While both ended up falling flat with players, it has not dissuaded 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.

As of now, Marvel Rivals seems to be a massive sensation within the hero shooter market. Players seem to be loving its character roster, the 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 upon that success, but if it can, then DC Comics may need to come up with something quick or be left behind.

DC Has Not Had Great Luck in the Live-Service Space

Earlier this year, DC Comics attempted to dominate the live-service space with Rocksteady Studios’ Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. The game was supposed to mark the grand return of the universe set up by the Batman: Arkham series and deliver an experience for DC fans to flock to. However, it failed to make any sort of impact when it finally launched. Players just did not care for its repetitive gameplay, the story was lacking compared to what had come before, and they were given little reason to come back for its post-launch seasons.

What was supposed to be DC’s big live-service push ended up failing to meet sales expectations, and it will likely not see many more post-launch seasons outside what was already revealed. Besides that, DC has not really had any major modern live-service experiences for players 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, yet nothing has really compared to what Marvel Rivals has done.

Marvel Rivals Has Put Marvel On Top

Right now, Marvel Rivals seems to be a massive hit for Marvel Comics and NetEase Games. Players are loving its gameplay loop, the characters have been a joy to control, and the game has seemingly been exactly what hero shooter fans have been looking for. While it remains to be seen if the studio can keep that hype train rolling with its post-launch content, if it can, then Marvel may be able to build upon this for years to come.

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

As of now, there is not much news on what DC’s next live service attempt will be. Players only really know that The Wolf Among Us 2 and Wonder Woman loom on the horizon, yet since the live-service market is extremely profitable, there will likely be another attempt sometime in the future. But, if it cannot push past the controversies of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League and be on the same level as Marvel Rivals, then it may also fall flat with its audience.