Marvel Rivalsis nearing its launch. After a handful of closed beta tests this year, the Marvel-themed hero shooter launches December 6 on current-gen consoles and PC. The team at NetEase Games has digested feedback from all tests and has been hard at work fine-tuning the balancing for launch, refining systems, putting the final touches on maps and ensuring thatMarvel Rivalslives up to the source material.
As a free-to-play title, nailing the launch is important. Just as important is the post-launch plan.Marvel Rivalswill live or die not only by how fun it is to play, but also by its content. Too little content at launch and players will quickly bounce to another title. Lots of content at launch, but little post-launch and players will bounce later down the line. Thankfully, it does look like NetEase Games has a plan in place to makeMarvel Rivalsa success at launch, but also post-launch.
Marvel Rivals Launches in December, All Heroes Will Be Free
Captain America and the Winter Soldier also join the roster of heroes and villains in Marvel Rivals.
Setting the Launch Stage
Marvel Rivalskicks things off with a bang on December 6 with the start of Season 0: Doom’s Rise. The story follows a meeting between Doctor Doom and his 2099 counterpart that unleashes the “Timestream Entanglement.” This event causes the creation of four “Chronoverses” (Techno-Dysoptia of 2099, Present: Evil Strikes; Mosaic Timeline: Unstable Space-Time, and Collapsing: Even Gods Die), kicking off an ever-evolving story as heroes and villains team up to prevent the Dooms from claiming victory over the new worlds.
Thankfully, it does look like NetEase Games has a plan in place to makeMarvel Rivalsa success at launch, but also post-launch.
Marvel Rivalsboasts a strong roster of characters when the game launches. In total, players can expect 33 characters (you can see the full list below), a massive list compared toOverwatch(21),Concord(16),Battleborn(25), andApex Legends(8) among other hero shooters. Not every single character has been revealed yet, but those that have show that NetEase Games is happy utilizing both popular (Black Panther, Captain America, Magneto, Spider-Man, Venom, etc.) and obscure (Jeff the Land Shark, Luna Snow, Magik, Namor, etc.) to fill its roster.
In terms of the rest of the launch content,Marvel Rivalsincludes eight maps for Quick Match and Competitive modes. There’s also one map for Conquest map and one Practice Range. Additonaly, there will be a shortened Battle Pass that will only contain half the items of a regular season.
A Glimpse into the Future
NetEase Games will kick things off with a bang on December 6, but they aren’t letting their foots off the gas. Season 1 begins early January 2025 and will set the framework for all future seasons. No precise details yet, but players can expect new playable characters, maps, team-up abilities and maybe even new game modes.
As a free-to-play game, monetization is expected. Thankfully, it doesn’t appear that NetEase Games is going overboard, at least at launch. There will be no pay-to-win mechanics. Instead, monetization will come in the form of Battle Passes and purchasable costumes based on classic comic looks, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and ones that reflect the story of the game. What NetEase Games hasn’t confirmed is how much costumes will cost or if there’s even a way to earn them through play. It’s great that there’s no pay-to-win mechanics, but the studio could still over-do it with high pricing.
Marvel Rivalswill live or die depending on how fun it is, how well balanced all its characters are, and how replayable the package is. NetEase Games appears to understand this and are taking into account player feedback to fine tune the game. On the content front, the studio has a large cast of characters and a respectable number of maps and game modes that should, hopefully, keep players hooked at launch and into the new year. We won’t have to wait too much longer to see if they’ve succeeded.
Marvel Rivalslaunches December 6 on PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC. Here’s every currently-announced playable character:
