Marvel Rivals Devs Won't Introduce Original Characters Anytime Soon, Because There Are Simply Too Many Marvel Characters Already

NetEase Games has pulled from decades of comic publication past to battalion Marvel Rivals with 48 playable heroes – but volition it ever dilatory down?

We caught up with originative manager Guangyun “GuangGuang” Chen and enforcement shaper Danny Koo to larn much astir the trajectory of their ongoing superhero leader shooter astatine GDC. While opening up astir however NetEase plans to support its one-hero-per-month live-service strategy, the brace touched connected whether players could soon spot an archetypal quality created conscionable for Marvel Rivals.

The abbreviated answer? Probably not, oregon astatine slightest not anytime soon.

“We person truthful galore close now,” Koo said. “It's not the time.”

Koo reiterated erstwhile confirmation that the workplace has support to make archetypal characters should the accidental arise. So, portion a NetEase-made leader isn’t disconnected the table, don’t expect them to swoop into Season 8.

Meanwhile, the squad is preparing to footwear disconnected its archetypal existent collaboration with the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) Path to Doomsday event. The yearlong solemnisation begins successful April and volition bring tie-in contented done to the merchandise of Avengers: Doomsday erstwhile it premieres December 18.

Koo says NetEase plans its contented for astir a twelvemonth successful beforehand portion ensuring that Marvel Rivals updates enactment up with the communicative of the wider Marvel universe. Although Avengers: Doomsday presents an accidental for an intriguing team-up, helium wants players to cognize “the crippled comes first.”

Many players judge an MCU collab was inevitable, but immoderate person wondered if Marvel Rivals could ever travel successful the footsteps of different live-service multiplayer games by introducing crossovers with properties extracurricular of its ain universe. However, comments from Koo suggest those dreams should beryllium enactment to rest.

“Non-Marvel? We person truthful galore characters successful Marvel, [we’re] not looking astatine extracurricular of Marvel,” helium explained. “We bash person collaborations with different Marvel games, let's say. At this point, we person truthful overmuch content.”

It's not a precise immense number, and we tin grip it.“

The Marvel universe, which has introduced comic books, movies, TV, video games, and much since 1939, is filled with thousands of characters. Even arsenic NetEase charges guardant with 2 heroes for each of its two-month-long seasons, GuangGuang says he’s not disquieted astir balancing the roster arsenic it grows with much from comics successful the future.

"It's not a precise immense number," helium said erstwhile referencing the expanding leader pool, "and we tin grip it." However, determination is 1 contented connected NetEase’s mind: UI.

“I don't deliberation heroes volition beryllium a problem,” Koo said. “It's much astir UI optimization. It's like, ‘Who's your favourite heroes that you privation to play, truthful you tin person them astatine immoderate clip astatine your disposal? What are caller characters that you privation to play?’ And this is each season, and you person to lick that problem. And then, if the substance changes, it's like, ‘How americium I going to prime those characters?’ Certainly, we'll enactment unneurotic connected however we contiguous that to the players. But I tally the live-service broadside of Marvel games. We person games [that have] implicit 200-300 characters, and it's not going to dilatory down."

Players person been treated good arsenic Marvel Rivals tears into its 2nd year, with post-launch characters similar Deadpool, Gambit, Angela, Else Bloodstone, and the entirety of the Fantastic Four bringing a small thing for a assortment of Marvel comics fans. As these aforesaid fans clamor to spot heroes similar Bishop, Cyclops, Nightcrawler, and Sersi added to the game, Koo teases that 1 origin influencing who gets added archetypal is however they tin shingle up each match.

“We privation to enactment with the squad to present antithetic play mechanics,” helium said. “If idiosyncratic is excessively similar, past it's not that exciting. If we person 5 shooting guns similar Punisher, past it'll beryllium little breathtaking than idiosyncratic that does thing wholly different.”

Marvel Rivals introduced White Fox arsenic leader 48 erstwhile Season 7 launched past week. Spider-Man regular Black Cat volition past articulation erstwhile Season 7.5 arrives successful the coming weeks. The identities of heroes 50 and 51 stay a enigma arsenic NetEase plots a uncover for Season 8, which is expected to get sometime successful the adjacent fewer months.

While we hold to spot which comic publication quality volition articulation the Marvel Rivals roster next, you tin work up connected the presumption of a Nintendo Switch 2 mentation of the game. You tin besides cheque successful connected what the workplace is doing to stomp retired those who intentionally propulsion games.

Michael Cripe is simply a freelance writer with IGN. He's champion known for his enactment astatine sites similar The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be definite to springiness him a travel connected Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).