The closed beta for NetEase Game’ upcoming hero shooter, Marvel Rivals, has attracted over 20 times more players than the open beta for Sony Interactive Entertainment and Firewalk Studios’ team-based first-person shooter, Concord.
According to the Steam player count statistics, the Marvel Rivals closed beta has around a 22 times higher player count than the open beta for PlayStation’s Concord on Valve’s digital PC platform, indicating that the former is resonating a lot more with multiplayer shooter fans. It is worth noting, however, that Marvel Rivals is a free-to-play title, so it is expected to have a higher degree of engagement.
That said, the beta for both games is available for free. While the Marvel Rivals closed beta requires a sign-up, access is pretty much certain once players select “Request Access” under “Join Marvel Rivals Playtest” on the Marvel Rivals Steam store page. As such, for all intents and purposes, it is only a closed beta in name. Meanwhile, as the name implies, the open beta for Concord is available to everyone with a Steam account, and the only sign-up required is for a PlayStation Network account.
Despite the similar ease of access, there is a massive difference between the player counts for each of the aforementioned titles. The popularity of the Marvel franchise may have played a role in the far greater success of Marvel Rivals. Concord is a brand new IP, and it’s generally difficult for a paid multiplayer-only title of this nature to gain traction early on. Regardless, it will be interesting to see where both games stand a year ahead of launch, and whether Sony Interactive Entertainment will remain firm on its decision to keep Concord a paid title.
Marvel Rivals is set to release for Microsoft Windows, macOS, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, while Concord will be available for PlayStation 5 and Windows on August 23, 2024.
