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CNET
7 hours ago
- Entertainment
- CNET
Marvel Rivals Season 3 Banks on Blade, Phoenix, Shorter Seasons Restoring Excitement to the Hero Shooter
Marvel Rivals is gearing up for the start of season 3 next week, and we got our first look at some of the upcoming changes, including glimpses at the two new fan-favorite Marvel heroes, Phoenix (Jean Grey) and Blade. The season trailer also heavily teased that the villain Knull might be making his way to the game in future seasons. Season 3 is a major turning point for the hero shooter, marking the start of its new two-month seasons and the start of the era where we'll be getting new heroes every month (one at the start of the season and one at midseason). Previously, seasons were about three months long, with new heroes coming out roughly every six weeks. The new cadence is an aggressive pace for expanding the game's roster and threatens to keep the metagame churning even faster, assuming those new heroes are relevant at launch. It's once again a high-stakes season for Rivals, which has been bleeding active players since launch. Based on SteamDB data, the start of each new half-season brings in fewer players than the previous (e.g. fewer players joined for season 2.5 than for 2.0). More concerningly, even the the start of each half-season doesn't bring in enough players to reach the lowest point from a full season ago: Season 2.0's peak count of 315,000 sits below season 1.0's low point of 331,000 players, and season 2.5's peak of 190,000 is just below the season 1.5 valley of 196,000. That means the start of new seasons -- the most exciting moments for the game -- are losing their ability to bring in new players or bring old players back. Steam numbers don't include console players, but it's difficult to imagine the story there looking much different. Rivals is probably hoping that the official launch of two long-awaited heroes and a faster seasonal rotation will reverse that trend. Here's everything we know about Marvel Rivals season 3.0 so far. When does season 3 start? Marvel Rivals season 3.0 is scheduled to start on Friday, July 11 UTC. Typically, this involves servers going down for a few hours around midnight PT before being turned back on for the new season in the very early morning. Marvel/Screenshot by Adam Benjamin New Marvel Rivals heroes It's finally happening! After half a year of being rumored additions to the roster, Jean Grey and Blade are officially joining the party. Jean Grey, wielding the powerful Phoenix Force, joins at season start. While we'll have to wait another day for a hero trailer to see her kit and abilities, the devs teased Phoenix's AOE damage through a chain-reaction mechanic and her mobility. They also said that Phoenix's ultimate deals massive damage and gets rid of enemy summons on the battlefield -- great news if you're facing down any combination of Namor's turrets, Moon Knight's ankhs, Peni's nests and Rocket's beacon (the latter of which have a team-up together). Rivals continues to make Blade fans wait, as that hero won't be added to the roster until season 3.5. But at least that's only a month away under the new season structure. Rivals season 3 balance changes Rivals devs gave us a quick breakdown of the upcoming balance changes, though we're still waiting on full details from official patch notes. Here's the quick breakdown, with any confirmed details in parentheses. Buffs: Venom Thing (gains a new ability to jump to enemies, possibly knocking down fliers) Namor (primary fire) Scarlet Witch (ultimate) Invisible Woman (healing efficiency) Mantis (healing and ultimate utility) Nerfs: Emma Frost Iron Man (poke potential) Punisher (turret) Mister Fantastic (survivability) Loki (ultimate charge) Ultron Phoenix adds some literal firepower to Wolverine's attacks with the new team-up. Marvel/Screenshot by Adam Benjamin Team-up changes Rivals is adding two new team-ups, tacking heroes onto two existing ones and removing two others (Storming Ignition and ESU Alumnus) from the game. It's also nerfing another. Here's the quick rundown: New -- Primal Flame: Phoenix anchors to add damage over time and lifesteal to Wolverine's attacks after his leap. New -- Ever-Burning Bond: Human Torch anchors to let Spider-Man shoot a burning web with a flaming tracer. (The flaming tracer stacks with Spidey's regular tracers, devs said.) Updated -- Symbiote Shenanigans: Adds Hela, giving her Soul Drainer Hel Sphere slowing tendrils. Updated -- Stark Protocol: Adds Squirrel Girl, giving her an explosive, homing gauntlet. Updated -- Guardian Revival: Devs said they'd be nerfing some element of the Guardians' team-up. Other things coming in season 3 The battle pass is getting some adjustments to account for shorter seasons. Battle passes still offer 10 skins, but you'll earn tokens at a faster rate to make it easier to progress through the entire battle pass in the shorter time period. Daily missions are also going away, with weekly missions shifting to permanent quests instead of being time-limited. Seasonal missions that offer large batches of tokens are also being added. Rivals devs also announced a new competitive mode coming in season 3.5 but said we'd have to wait for any details about it. The game is also adding accessories (which appear to be animated stickers that float above the KO notifications), new chroma options and visual effects for ultimate abilities. Perhaps the nicest quality of life change is the ability to mix & match MVP animations with any skins, instead of having certain MVP animations locked to specific skins.
Metro
24-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
Monster Hunter and Marvel Rivals player numbers plummet after initial success
After enjoying successful launches on PC, Monster Hunter Wilds and Marvel Rivals have been steadily losing players over the past few months. Thanks to the success of games like Fortnite, video game publishers are obsessed with creating their own 'forever game'; something that people will keep playing and spending money on for many, many years after launch. We've seen too many attempts at this crash and burn in less than a year because they failed to garner much of an audience. However, even the success stories – the ones that do prove immensely popular at launch – aren't able to rest on their laurels. All too quickly, a once devoted player-base can turn on and abandon a game, even if it's generally considered to be good, as evidenced by recent downward trends affecting Monster Hunter Wilds and Marvel Rivals. Monster Hunter Wilds is widely agreed to be the best game in the series and after its launch in February, it became the best selling new game of 2025. The PC version attracted a larger player base than the last two entries, helping Steam break its peak concurrent users record, and its last reported sales figures stands at over 10 million, already making it Capcom's seventh best-selling game ever. Only four months later though, and user reviews on Steam have taken a shocking downturn, with a swam of overly negative reviews shifting its *recent reviews* rating to 'Overwhelmingly Negative.' Sign up to the GameCentral newsletter for a unique take on the week in gaming, alongside the latest reviews and more. Delivered to your inbox every Saturday morning. Glancing through recent examples, this is primarily a result of the game's performance on PC. Many describe it as being poorly optimised, which means unstable frame rates, muddy visuals, and the game simply not running as well as it should, even on high-end PCs. This has led to a sharp decline in player count. While such a decline is inevitable, seeing how much it dropped in March alone is bound to have Capcom executives sweating. While Monster Hunter Wilds isn't a live service game in the traditional sense, as support is unlikely to last more than a few years, but Capcom does want people playing it regularly, as evidenced by its post-game content, new paid DLC, and free post-launch updates that add new monsters and weapons. Per SteamDB, Monster Hunter Wilds peaked at 1,384,608 players in early March and that number has now dwindled into the tens of thousands. At the time of writing, it has even less than that, at just 8,077 players. That's less than the current player count of 12,508 for the seven-year-old Monster Hunter: World. As for Marvel Rivals, its drop in player count has been more gradual but, as you can see on the SteamDB chart, it has consistently lost players in between seasons, and each new season has been pulling less and less players back. After peaking at 644,269 players, with the launch of season one, Marvel Rivals is past the midpoint of season two and it has less than 100,000 concurrent players. It's recent user reviews on Steam are notably more mixed than Monster Hunter Wilds', but the negative reviews all mention similar complaints regarding poor and unbalanced matchmaking and a toxic community. These sorts of issues won't be exclusive to the PC version either, so while there's no accurate way to check, it's not unreasonable to assume Marvel Rivals' active player base on consoles is also suffering. More Trending Some will argue that Marvel Rivals' drop in player count is only natural and nothing to be concerned about. A lot of players will naturally lose interest as the hype wears off and a dedicated core player-base is cultivated. But when the game had such a strong start, publisher NetEase Games is unlikely to be satisfied seeing hundreds of thousands of people abandon it. Especially since the game makes use of an extremely recognisable, and expensive to obtain, licence and is free to play, meaning it makes all its money through microtransactions. Let's also not forget that even when Marvel Rivals was exploding in popularity, NetEase still laid off a number of staff from its design team, setting a grim portent for what could happen if the game starts failing to meet the company's expectations. All this shows that while launching a popular live service game is very difficult, it's perhaps even more difficult to ensure it stays popular. Such games need to be frequently monitored and re-evaluated and simply pumping out new content isn't always enough to keep people interested. Email gamecentral@ leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter. To submit Inbox letters and Reader's Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here. For more stories like this, check our Gaming page. MORE: The most successful game of the year is almost 50% off on PS5 and Xbox MORE: NetEase game Blood Message may have the best video game graphics ever MORE: Call Of Duty: Warzone in trouble claims insider as fears of a shutdown grow
Yahoo
08-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
SteamDB changes might finally herald the end of a long wait for Silksong (again), though with SGF on the horizon, I think Team Cherry has the potential to do the funniest thing of all time
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Every time I write about Silksong, I feel as though I'm inching closer to an abyss of madness from which there is no return. Each article starts the same—a rite for the uninitiated, an explanation that yes, this game really was announced in 2019, and yes, it really was stated to be coming out "in the next 12 months" in 2022, and yes, fan hopefuls really did wait three more years for a hilariously short clip in a 2025 Nintendo direct promising a release date this year with zero other specifics. Now, from the bottom of a well of conspiracy, a scrap comes tumbling down the cobbled walls: There've been more SteamDB changes that… wait holy crap, these might actually mean something. As spotted by eagle-eyed industry buff Wario64 on X, several SteamDB updates have been published for Hollow Knight: Silksong, which have quickly gained traction as a deep hit of hopium on the unfailingly unhinged subreddit, with nary a "silkpost" flair in sight. The main meat is the introduction of achievement languages, which are a pretty good sign the game's nearing completion—you generally don't decide what achievements are going to be notable, then translate them unless you're pretty certain you won't be making any more structural changes to your game. Even more hype came down the pipeline when some depots changed. A depot, as explained by the Steamworks documentation, is "a logical grouping of files which are all delivered to a customer as a single group", which then gets "downloaded and 'mounted' on their local drive" when you download a game. The last time one of these depots changed was in 2019, when the game was first announced. While I don't think user HHrnz, who spotted the change, is exactly right when they say "This is pretty much confirmation that the game is complete and ready to have its release date announced," it is a sign that something is going on. And as a resolute skonger, something is always able to be everything. I'm about to call an utterly unfounded shot, with zero basis in reality and all the hope of someone shouting 'Kobe!' from halfway down the court, but, just think about it—Summer Games Fest is coming up. Heaps upon heaps of trailers and events and showcases. What is the funniest thing that Team Cherry could possibly do after six entire years of anticipation? A shadow drop. Just… put it out there. After all, who needs pithy things like press releases or developer diaries when you've got a swarm of feverish hollows clamouring for your next game? The Switch 2 is here. The ground is ripe, and the marketing does itself in a resounding swarm of skong. 2025 games: This year's upcoming releasesBest PC games: Our all-time favoritesFree PC games: Freebie festBest FPS games: Finest gunplayBest RPGs: Grand adventuresBest co-op games: Better together
Yahoo
08-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
You could cut the tension with a needle—7 SteamDB changes in the past week have Silksong hopefuls wondering if the final hour is upon us
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Silksong may, after many long years, finally be releasing—or it may not be. A shadowdrop could be arriving tomorrow, or our eternal vigil may never end. It's either the final 24 hours, or time has no meaning anymore. One thing's for certain: SteamDB has some updates. In addition to the updates released earlier this week, which included achievement data for multiple languages, Silksong has had support for Windows, Mac, and Linux added, visible via SteamDB. At the time of writing, Silksong's minimum requirements don't list Mac or Linux as possible platforms, however, Steam does provide support for them, and developers can prep their store pages to send out platform-specific packages. As always, the Silksong subreddit is being delightfully normal about the news. In one thread, you can even see the ever-cynical doubters (we're well past the point of tribalistic factions) starting to crack. "FUCK MY FLAIR SILKSONG TOMORROW," roars one frantic switcher. "I... CANT... DENY... IT... ANY... LONGER!" writes another, with the tone of the Incredible Hulk swelling out of his shirt. On one hand, it is mighty suspicious that the games' Steam page would receive such a ferocious flurry of updates—seven in total, including this one—before Summer Game Fest. With a bevvy of announcements to come, the idea that Team Cherry's doing some preparatory updating before finally releasing the dang thing isn't entirely out of the question. On the other hand, a few SteamDB updates aren't substantial proof of anything if you aren't scrabbling for every scrap of hope you can. Almost no game since Elden Ring has had this much feverish hype built up behind it and, in a way, the cultish chanting is outstripping what Silksong is likely bound to be: A very good metroidvania. Which, given I've played several since Hollow Knight, is only saying so much. If Team Cherry does do the funniest thing it can and shadowdrop Silksong in a manner of hours, it'll mark the end to all doubting and hoping, all coping and copium. No more daily Silksong news, no more crossed fingers, no more Silkposts. Bait used to be believable, but if it's the dawn of the final day, it shall be absent entirely. All I can say is, if this is indeed the end? Gentlebugs, it has been an honour. 2025 games: This year's upcoming releasesBest PC games: Our all-time favoritesFree PC games: Freebie festBest FPS games: Finest gunplayBest RPGs: Grand adventuresBest co-op games: Better together
Metro
30-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
Elden Ring Nightreign is From's worst-rated game in years
FromSoftware's multiplayer Elden Ring spin-off has hit over 300,000 players on Steam, but it's proving a divisive experience. Elden Ring Nightreign launched today around the world and while it doesn't necessarily play to developer FromSoftware's strengths, it has had a strong start on Steam (its success on consoles is much harder to track). As recorded on SteamDB, the co-op multiplayer spin-off has hit a concurrent player peak of 313,593 within its first day on Steam. This is significantly lower than Elden Ring's overall peak of 953,426 players, but it's pretty good for a lower profile and lower budget game. At the time of writing, Elden Ring Nightreign is the fifth most played game on the platform, behind Counter-Strike 2, Dota 2, PUBG, and er… Bongo Cat. However, not everyone is happy with the experience so far, and it's already become FromSoftware's lowest rated title on Steam. As of May 30, Elden Ring Nightreign has a 'mixed' rating on Steam, with only 66% of 9,000+ reviews being positive. This is technically the lowest of all FromSoftware's available PC games (if we aren't counting the delisted Ninja Blade), although technically DLC The Ashes Of Ariandel for Dark Souls 3 is lower at 59% rating. Many of the negative reviews for Elden Ring Nightreign have highlighted the lack of voice chat, the absence of duos mode, and the minimal variety during runs as particular sore points. 'I hate to say it, but I think we've finally see a bit of a miss from FromSoftware,' one user review reads. 'One that I think is still salvageable, and really could be turned into a much more interesting game – but as it is right now, it's got a bit more bad than good going for it.' However, some are seeing the positives even if they do come with caveats. 'Super fun game,' another review reads. 'Your enjoyment will most likely be based on your teammates and how good your communication is.' In terms of critical response, Nightreign is currently at 77 on Metacritic, which isn't a disaster but is well below that of any of From's other major titles, since they hit the big time with Dark Souls in 2011. The only games to score lower are experimental VR title Déraciné and a suite of mech games, including Armored Core 5, in 2012. More Trending Speaking in an interview with IGN earlier this month, the director behind Elden Ring Nightreign, Junya Ishizaki, said they are considering adding a two-player mode post-launch, so there's a chance some of these issues could be fixed further down the line. The big question is whether Elden Ring Nightreign will attract a dedicated player base in the coming months to make these updates worthwhile, or if it's simply riding the popularity of Elden Ring. This multiplayer experiment, which many suspect started life as Elden Ring DLC, is perhaps also a test for FromSoftware's next multiplayer offering: The Duskbloods. The PvPvE game is set to be released next year as a Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive. Email gamecentral@ leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter, and sign-up to our newsletter. To submit Inbox letters and Reader's Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here. For more stories like this, check our Gaming page. MORE: Hell Is Us hands-on preview: 'AAA games are so bloody bland' MORE: Cyberpunk 2 release date narrowed down as production ramps up MORE: Xbox handheld delayed claims report as Microsoft refocuses on Windows
