HELLDIVERS 2 vs Marvel Rivals
Co-op democracy spreaders vs. Marvel team-up brawlers — pick based on whether you want PvE or PvP.
Updated 10d ago
Still the best chaotic 4-player co-op shooter on PC despite the playerbase falling from 458k peak to 30k after Arrowhead's balance churn.
For fans of Overwatch 2 hungry for team-up synergies and free-form 6v6, Rivals stabilized at 100k peak after an 82% drop from launch.
By the numbers
Prices checked Aug 7; they move faster than we refresh, so confirm on the store page.
Recent-review figures are Steam's own last-30-days window, read Aug 7.
| Measure | HELLDIVERS 2 | Marvel Rivals |
|---|---|---|
| Value Marvel Rivals wins on value | ||
| Price now | $30.95 −23% · GameBillet | $0.00 Steam |
| All-time low | $25.47 | $0.00 |
| Cost / hour | $0.97/hr $30.95 · 32 h main story | $0.00/hr $0.00 · 18 h main story |
| Off its low | +22% low was Mar 2025 | — |
| Main story | 32 h | 18 h |
| Health Too close to call | ||
| Steam reviews | 75% 1.2M reviews | 76% 406k reviews |
| Recent reviews | 81% 3k votes · vs 75% lifetime · improving | 65% 9k votes · vs 76% lifetime · souring |
| Peak players | 43,782 Jul 2026 · ↓ 4% MoM | 196,974 Jul 2026 · ↑ 52% MoM |
| Launch peak | 10% of Feb 2024 launch peak · as of Jul 2026 | 47% of Dec 2024 launch peak · as of Jul 2026 |
| All-time peak | 458,208 Feb 2024 | 642,333 Jan 2025 |
| Support | ||
| Last patch | 5 weeks ago | yesterday |
| Patch cadence | 4 in last 90 days | 15+ in last 90 days, at minimum |
| Steam Deck | Gold | Gold |
Shared scale — same months across the bottom, same player-count axis up the side, so the two lines are directly comparable. A shorter line means a younger game.
What players say
Patterns from long-haul reviewers, taken from each game's verdict. Not live sentiment — each side is dated below.
HELLDIVERS 2
The core co-op PVE loop remains engaging and fun for hundreds of hours despite ongoing frustrations.
Persistent balance changes, performance bugs, and poor developer communication erode trust and enjoyment over time.
from our May 2026 verdict
Marvel Rivals
The matchmaking system's forced 50% win rate and absence of role queue create landslide games and 6 DPS teams in ranked, frustrating long-time players.
from our May 2026 verdict
Key differences
Which one is for you?
Pick HELLDIVERS 2 if
- You want chaotic 4-player co-op with friendly fire and strategic loadouts.
- You are OK with a galactic-war metagame that resets after Major Orders.
- You bounce off solo extraction shooters and prefer cooperative chaos.
Pick Marvel Rivals if
- You want 6v6 free-for-all with no role limits and team-up abilities.
- You play with friends and enjoy hero-pair synergies like Iron Man+Hulk.
- You enjoy environmental destruction and third-person camera over first-person.
Bottom line
Choose Helldivers 2 for frantic co-op with depth; choose Marvel Rivals for fast-paced 6v6 hero-shooter action with free-form team-ups.