
Marvel Rivals Storm Skin Controversy Explained: Team Apologizes, Adds Free Upgrade
Marvel Rivals has apologized for a recent Storm swimsuit skin controversy, also releasing free upgrades. Here’s a recap.
Marvel Rivals’ Swimsuit Special skins have made it the #1 Steam top seller, pushing it past Counter-Strike 2.

Marvel Rivals has become the top selling game on Steam, surpassing Counter-Strike 2 thanks to swimsuit skins. Image Credits: Valve via Steam, NetEase, Marvel
An unexpected challenger has dethroned Counter-Strike from the Steam Top 100 Sellers leaderboard. Marvel Rival’s swimsuit skins have given it a final push, granting the victory. Here’s everything to know.
On August 14, 2026, gamers noticed that Marvel Rivals had pushed past Counter-Strike 2 to become Steam’s best-selling game. The title reached #1 on the list of the top 100 selling games by revenue, also beating out mainstay titles like Apex Legends, Kingdom Hearts, and Helldivers 2.

The update also demonstrates a significant positive trend in Marvel Rival’s sales. Meaanwhile, Counter-Strike has slightly dipped.
Counter-Strike, one of Valve’s most popular projects, has stayed on the top 100 selling games list for over 730 weeks. The game has had an indelible influence on the FPS genre.
This change is particularly significant because there are very few times another esports title has beaten Counter-Strike in the Steam sales metrics. Typically, a viral release will temporarily take the title. In just two years since its launch, Marvel Rivals has skyrocketed to a successful esports circuit, with teams like NaVi and Team Liquid locking in to its tournaments. Its size is still not comparable to Counter-Strike’s massive Majors, with Team Vitality, FURIA, and other orgs drawing millions of views, but the esports scene is definitely real and here to stay.
It’s important to note that Counter-Strike remains above Marvel Rivals in Steam’s most-played games (with the highest concurrent player base). It currently sits at #1, with over 900,000 concurrent players at the time of writing according to SteamCharts. Fellow Valve darling DOTA 2 is at #2, with 716,000 current players.
What exactly happened that gave Marvel Rivals that final push over Counter-Strike? Well, for the past few years, the game has released a Summer-themed event. This includes a Swimsuit Special skin drop, outfitting its characters in new, beach-ready getups. It seems like swimsuit skins have given Marvel Rivals one last boost to surpass Counter-Strike on the charts.
Marvel Rivals’ summer swimsuit special skins are some of the game’s most successful cosmetics, and they provide the sales data to back it up. Players had widespread positive reactions to the first set’s launch in 2025’s Summer Party seasonal update. In 2026, the team has already followed up with three more drops. Swimsuit options for Black Cat, Magik, and Psylocke are among the most well-known.
Buyers like that the models don’t shy away from more carefree, realistic adult outfits. Plus, they include options for all types and genders of Hero: Captain America, Winter Soldier, and Loki don’t escape the hype. In fact, Captain America’s swimsuit skin is one of the game’s most popular.
It’s unclear how long Marvel Rivals will retain its Steam victory, but it’s a good omen for the game as a whole.

Marvel Rivals has apologized for a recent Storm swimsuit skin controversy, also releasing free upgrades. Here’s a recap.

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