The Rise of Marvel Rivals: China’s Gaming Influence Challenges Western Industry Giants

Arcade Futures
2 min readDec 10, 2024

--

In a now deleted post on X, Mike Ybarra former president of Blizzard suggests that Marvel Rivals is a “clear copy” of Overwatch.

Marvel Rivals has achieved an impressive milestone, reaching 10 million players worldwide within just 72 hours of its launch on December 6, 2024.

Naturally, Ybarra’s comparison of Widowmaker to Black Widow has drawn criticism, with many on X pointing out that the analogy really didn’t make much sense.

Content creators like @EndymionYT have argued that the reason Marvel Rivals is succeeding while Overwatch is declining lies in Overwatch’s mishandling of its sequel, Overwatch 2.

Critics have cited aggressive monetization tactics, the cancellation of the long-awaited PvE Hero Mode, the controversial shift from 6v6 to 5v5 gameplay, a lack of substantial new content, and divisive “woke identity politics” as key reasons for the game’s decline in popularity within the gaming community.

The success of games like Black Myth: Wukong — which celebrates traditional Chinese mythology — also raises questions about the growing impact and influence of the Chinese gaming market on Western audiences.

As Black Myth: Wukong thrives, one wonders how this shift might reshape global gaming preferences and affairs.

Consider Concord, another hero shooter that lasted only a few days before being pulled from the PlayStation Store due to lack of sales and interest.

Are we witnessing a broader trend where Western audiences begin to favor games and stories developed in China?

--

--

No responses yet