Marvel Rivals: Everything We Know

If you thought the Infinity War showdown was the peak of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, hold onto your seats because we've got some exciting news for you. Marvel is teaming up with NetEase Inc. to put all the universe’s power in your hands with Marvel Rivals. The new title is set to redefine the gaming landscape. At first glance, it may look like an amped-up version of Overwatch, but it's bringing the multiverse-hopping action straight to your living room. Unlike the predetermined action in the MCU movies and shows, in Marvel Rivals, you get to decide whether the hero or the villain seizes the day. So, Avengers assemble as we delve into all the juicy details in Marvel Rivals – everything we know so far!

What is Marvel Rivals?

Marvel Rivals is an upcoming team-based PvP shooter featuring your beloved characters from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, where familiar faces become newfound foes while former enemies become the greatest of allies.” With six player slots for each team, battles unfold across a multitude of worlds within the Marvel Universe. From the majestic realm of Asgard to the futuristic streets of Tokyo in 2099, heroes and villains clash in epic showdowns. 

According to the creators, Marvel Rivals is described as “a cooperative, Super Hero team-based PvP shooter! Players can assemble an ever-evolving all-star squad of Super Heroes and Super Villains, while battling with unique super powers across a dynamic lineup of destructible maps from across the Marvel Multiverse.”

Story

Sticking to its foundations, Marvel Rivals’ narrative draws the spotlight on Doctor Doom. The notorious supervillain from the Fantastic Four series is teaming up with his successor in 2099 to manipulate the timestream. This collaboration leads to a catastrophic event called the Timestream Entanglement. As heroes and villains from various realities clash and engage in battles, players must unite, confront their alternate counterparts, and thwart the plans of the Dooms to save the day. 

Gameplay

Marvel Rivals wears its iconic showdown battles on its sleeve with its gameplay. With six members per team, players will battle across “ever-changing battlefields.” The selling point is that you can take on the role of Captain America and ward off the bad guys, or skip over to the villain side and unleash your innermost Thanos. The trailer reveals a roster of 18 characters available on launch, including Spiderman, Iron Man, Hulk/Bruce Banner, Rocket Racoon, Peni Parker, Mantis, Magik, Black Panther, Doctor Strange, Luna Snow, Loki, Namor, Groot, Storm, Magneto, Scarlet Witch, Punisher, and Starlord.

Each character will embody a set of three or four special skills and a super ability unique to the character, which, when combined, unleashes a barrage of new effects. You can also rope in our teammate for a combined effect that unleashes team-up skills. Ideally, Marvel Rivals sticks to the traditional concept that one hero or villain is never enough. Play as Rocket Raccoon and team up with Groot for an epic crowd control move. Or play as Iron Man and leverage Hulk’s Gamma energy to charge up your suit. The characters Super Abilities also pack a punch, which deals incredible damage to your opponents. The downside is that these abilities take longer to charge.

Moreover, the iconic landscapes where the matches take place feature destructible environments. Meaning, you get a front-row seat to the explosions and destruction. Also, you can blast away buildings that the ops may be using to hide.

So far, we have one confirmed objective. Players will need to protect a chariot as it journeys to its destination while the other team tries to halt it. It’s very Overwatch of the title. Besides, there is nothing new under the sun.

Development

NetEase Inc. and Marvel are the two bigwigs breathing life into this upcoming title. NetEase is behind major titles like Battlefield, Call of Duty, Diablo Immortal, Marvel Super War, Cyber Hunter, Identity V and Marvel Duel. The studio is in charge of crafting the upcoming title’s storyline, among others. According to NetEase Inc. Vice President, ”this partnership with Marvel Games continues our commitment to build world-class development teams and reach global audiences with cutting-edge experiences.” 

The two studios seem pretty confident about the project. “Marvel Rivals is one of our most ambitious game development projects. Since the conceptualization of the game and throughout our collaboration, our Marvel team has poured our hearts and souls into this project, and we are thrilled to work with the incredible team at NetEase Games to help deliver the ultimate Super Hero Team-Based PVP Shooter.”

Trailer

If the trailer looks this good, I certainly can't wait for the game’s launch. Marvel gives us a glimpse of the upcoming project in a one-minute, 57-second trailer. The trailer reveals the gameplay, showing the character's abilities. You can see Spider-Man’s webbing ability that ties up opponents, making them vulnerable, and Bruce Banner’s transformation into the Hulk. 

Release Date, Platforms, and Editions

Marvel Rivals will be an exclusive PC launch. There’s still no hint as to the game’s availability on mobile devices or other platforms. The devs have also not given a release window. But from the looks of it, the game could launch in early 2025.

But there’s some good news on the horizon. A closed Alpha Build will be available in May 2024. If the game floats your boat so far, you can sign up on the Marvel website by filling out this registration form. Since the game’s development is in the early stages, the devs will rely on the community’s feedback to fine-tune it. 

The good news is that the game will be free. But we are yet to see the fine print in terms of microtransactions. Post-launch, the game will include seasonal updates that will introduce new maps, heroes, and challenges. 

Unfortunately, we don't have information on the editions to expect. So many details remain scarce at the moment. However, you can always follow the official social media handle here to keep track of new updates. Meanwhile, we'll watch out for new information and let you know as soon as they come up.

So, what's your take? Will you pick up a copy of Marvel Rivals when it drops? Let us know over on our socials here.