Several Marvel games are in development right now, but for anyone looking for something competitive, Marvel Rivals might catch your eye. This new competitive shooter game is being developed by NetEase and combines a striking art direction with comic book-inspired gameplay as you battle to save the Marvel Multiverse. Ahead of its eventual release, we’ve gathered up all the available information on the game, from alpha test dates to its roster.
When Will Marvel Rivals Be Released?
On its Discord, NetEase says Marvel Rivals is still early in development, so no set release date has been revealed yet. As noted below, an alpha test is on the way in the first half of 2024, so there will be an opportunity to try it out soon.
Marvel Rivals Gameplay
While it might look like a reskinned Overwatch on first glance, Marvel Rivals does make a few changes to the formula of its source inspiration.
Marvel Rivals uses a third-person view and character abilities can be boosted with dynamic “Team-Up Skills” to unleash powerful attacks. For example, the Hulk can channel some of his gamma radiation into Iron Man and supercharge the armored Avenger’s repulsor blasts or Rocket can hitch a ride with Groot and create a tag team of destruction.
Matches in Marvel Rivals will be 6v6 battles, which matches Overwatch’s original team composition before that game shifted to 5v5 in Overwatch 2.
Marvel Rivals Price
When it launches, Marvel Rivals will be available at the low price of absolutely nothing, as NetEase says the game will be free-to-play. Exactly what its microtransactions look like–including things like a battle pass, skins, and other cosmetics or boost–remains to be seen.
Marvel Rivals Closed Alpha Test
A closed alpha technical test for Marvel Rivals will be held in May 2024, and if you’re interested, you can sign up by filling out this registration form and answering a few questions about your gaming habits. For this early preview of Marvel Rivals, NetEase says it will be focusing on gathering player feedback, fine-tuning the gameplay mechanics, and identifying bugs before the full launch. At least 12 characters will be available as part of the test.
Marvel Rivals Character Roster
So far, 18 characters have been revealed for the Marvel Rivals character roster. You’ve got obvious inclusions like Iron Man, Spider-Man, and Storm, as well as a few lesser-known characters like Magik and Luna Snow. There’s a big comic book influence on the design of each character, and NetEase has added its own artistic touch with vibrant colors and interesting costume redesigns. If Marvel Rivals is anything like the mobile games developed by the studio, you can probably expect some terrific alternate costumes to unlock. Overall, you’ll be able to choose characters from the Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, X-Men, and many more.
- Hulk
- Storm
- Namor
- Loki
- Doctor Strange
- Spider-Man
- Black Panther
- Magik
- Groot
- Rocket
- Star Lord
- Mantis
- Peni Parker
- Luna Snow
- Iron Man
- Scarlet Witch
- Punisher
- Magneto
Marvel Rivals Platforms
For now, only PC has been confirmed as a platform that Marvel Rivals will release on. NetEase will likely fine-tune Marvel Rivals on PC first, before rolling the game out to modern platforms like PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, although that is speculation at this point. The game can currently be wishlisted on both Steam and the Epic Games Store.
Marvel Rivals Story And Setting
Fantastic Four supervillain Doctor Doom has teamed up with his successor in 2099 to mess about with the timestream, creating a cataclysmic event known as the Timestream Entanglement. With heroes and villains from multiple realities colliding and battling one another, it’ll be up to players to join forces, face off against their parallel selves, and stop the Dooms in the process.
Matches take place across comic book locations like Asgard and Tokyo 2099. These stages also feature destructible elements, like statues that can be blasted to pieces so that the opposition can’t hide behind them for long
Marvel Rivals Post-Launch Plans
As a live-service game, NeatEase says each new season in Marvel Rivals will introduce more characters and maps to the game. Beyond that, the company hasn’t mentioned how these characters will be unlocked, if they’ll be free additions to the roster, and the types of microtransactions players can expect to see in the game’s marketplace.
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