When is the Marvel Rivals release date? This 6-vs-6 shooter, developed by Netease and Marvel Games, looks set to be a contender to rival Overwatch 2 with Valorant art style, and varied gameplay. The game has now been officially announced and, despite leaks, there were still some surprises.
Marvel Rivals is being worked on by ex-Battlefield and Call of Duty developer, Netease, and aims to blend all the cool things from your favorite superhero games with the frantic fun of 6v6 FPS games. Here’s all we know so far on Marvel Rivals and when you can expect to get your hands on it.
Marvel Rivals release date estimate
We estimate that Marvel Rivals will be released at some point in early 2025. This is due to the first alpha playtests being confirmed for May 2024.
Marvel Rivals will be free to play, and released on PC only to begin with. It’s unclear whether the game will eventually reach consoles or even mobile.
The first alpha playtests for Marvel Rivals will begin from May 2024, and you can sign-up for those on the Marvel Rivals website now. You’ll be able to control a selection of the game’s characters including Black Panther, Spider-Man, Magneto, and Magick among others.
Marvel Rivals gameplay
Thanks to the first trailer, revealed in late March 2024, we now have information on the style of Marvel Rivals’ gameplay and what to expect from the team-based shooter upon its release.
The game will be team-based with six per team, and promises “ever-changing battlefields”. Take your pick of superheroes or super villains to play as, with varied abilities, and powers that can be combined to trigger new effects. Characters can also combine together to use Team-Up Skills which “invent new tactics”. Rocket Raccoon can leap on Groot’s back to plough through foes, and Hulk can release Gamma energy to charge up Iron Man’s armor.
Environments are destructible, with the trailer showing a huge pillar being destroyed in seconds and characters plummeting from its height, taking huge damage. Environments such as Asgard and a futuristic Tokyo are shown off, and using superpowers to reshape terrain could bring your team a huge advantage.
Marvel Rivals seasons
As Marvel Rivals is free to play, it has introduced its seasonal model. With each new season, new superheroes will be added to the roster as well as new maps. Unlockable content via a season pass can aid your gameplay strategies.
Marvel Rivals also has a seasonal storyline which sees Doctor Doom and his future counterpart from 2099 forcing universes to collide in the Timestream Entanglement, which will create new worlds, crises, and other unknown side effects. The Marvel Rivals characters will need to fight together and against each other to defeat both present-day and future Doom before one takes control of all of the created realities.
That’s all we know about Netease’s newest offering for now, but we’ll be updating this guide with the latest Marvel Rivals news as soon as we hear about it. If you can’t wait to get your hands on Marvel Rivals, we’ve also got lists of the best multiplayer games and the best co-op games you can play on PC right now.