Marvel Rivals has been an incredible success story in a gaming industry that has struggled to deliver consistent results. The free-to-play superhero team-based shooter was released by NetEase in December of last year to widespread acclaim from gamers.

While the game's general concept borrowed heavily from Blizzard's Overwatch, including a roster featuring characters pulled from all corners of the Marvel Universe helped set it apart and feel like its own unique thing — especially when you experience the hero team-up abilities. But as it turns out, it's the use of Marvel characters that almost resulted in the game being canceled before it was even released.

According to a new report by Bloomberg focused on the recent cost-cutting measures being taken at developer NetEase, it's claimed that company founder and CEO William Ding was not in favor of paying Disney for the rights to use Marvel characters in the game, mostly due to the licensing costs.