A New Marvel Game Just Arrived on Steam (And It’s Free)

It’s a good year to be a gamer who also loves Marvel. We’ve got Marvel Rivals throwing out frequent updates with exciting new skins and several upcoming Marvel Games titles on the way. With Marvel Mystic Mayhem and Marvel Cosmic Invasion on the way this year and Marvel Tokkon: Fighting Souls slated for 2026, there’s plenty to look forward to. But in the meantime, Steam users now have another Marvel title to add to their to-play lists. While not a brand-new game, Marvel Contest of Champions is new to Steam as of its debut on June 18th.

Originally released in 2014, Marvel Contest of Champions has been a mobile-only title for years. This arcade-style fighting superhero game comes from developer Kabam as a free-to-play game for iOS and Android devices. As its name suggests, the game draws most of its inspiration from the Contest of Champions Marvel comics series. To celebrate the June 18th PC launch of Marvel Contest of Champions, Kabam has released a brand-new trailer showing off what gamers can expect:

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The trailer shows off several Marvel characters available in the game, which has built up quite a roster over the past ten years. We get a look at characters like Jubilee, Lady Deathstrike, Mister Fantastic, Spider-Man, Venom, Groot, Doctor Doom, and more in action. The trailer also showcases the 1 v. 1 battle action, which lets players face off against NPC or player opponents.

Is Marvel Contest of Champions Worth Checking Out?

For a free-to-play mobile title, Marvel Contest of Champions has a solid rating in both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. Given that the game is over 10 years old, maintaining a 4.7/5 on Apple and 4.2/5 on Google Play is no small feat. Many reviewers go so far as to say it’s one of the best mobile games they’ve ever played. And now, PC gamers can give it a go as it has finally released on Steam, over 10 years later. The game features cross-platform support, so if you’ve previously played on mobile, your progress can carry over.

As a free-to-play game, one big consideration is how Kabam monetizes Marvel Contest of Champions. The game uses a currency called units, which help you buy various in-game items, build up masteries, and even unlock story missions and progress in the game. Many players say the monetization can be a bit heavy-handed, with frequent reminders that you can use units to make things easier.

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Marvel Contest of Champions also utilizes a gacha-style mechanic, where you will need to use units to “summon” new heroes for your team. This is a sharp contrast to more recent free Marvel games like Marvel Rivals, where all characters are unlocked and paid options just offer different cosmetics. So, it’s possible this will feel a bit frustrating for gamers used to having the full playable roster at their disposal without the grind of earning in-game currency.

Early reviews on Steam are mixed, with most negative reviews citing monetization and gacha mechanics as the primary drawback. That said, quite a few reviews note it runs pretty well on PC and offers support for both mouse and keyboard and controller gaming. Given that it’s a free download, trying out Marvel Contest of Champions is pretty low risk and well worth a go if you’re looking for a Marvel fighting game to enjoy while waiting on the new ones.