NetEase says Marvel Rivals has passed 40 million players; report recounts near‑cancellation over Disney licensing

Startup.ph reports NetEase’s Marvel Rivals had topped 40 million players by Q1 2026 and recounts earlier Bloomberg-sourced claims that company leadership briefly pushed to drop or replace the Marvel license over costs before keeping it.

In this brief: 3 sections 2 min read

- Article states NetEase reported the game had exceeded 40 million players by the first quarter of 2026.
- It credits Season 8 and ongoing seasonal content with keeping concurrent Steam peaks above 118,000.
- The writeup links the player milestone to NetEase’s broader financial reporting for Q1 2026.
- Cites earlier Bloomberg reporting that NetEase CEO William Ding balked at Disney's licensing fees and temporarily ordered artists to develop original characters.
- NetEase publicly denied the account but the article presents it as part of the game's pre-launch history.
- The story is used to illustrate development decisions and costs related to major IP deals.
- The player total indicates scale of Rivals’ global reach and commercial significance for NetEase.
- The licensing anecdote highlights the financial tradeoffs of major IP partnerships and potential internal friction.
- Both items influence how publishers and studios evaluate live-service IP investments.

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