Marvel Rivals is already home to an incredibly strong roster of hero shooters featuring 23 heroes and villains from across the Marvel Universe. From the X-Men to the Avengers to the Guardians of the Galaxy and more obscure faces like Jeff the Land Shark, Marvel RivalsThe roster is full of unique and iconic fighters. And things are just beginning.
Marvel Rivals is set to launch in full on December 6th, bringing Captain America and The Winter Soldier with it. Developer NetEase has already confirmed that all heroes will be unlocked at launch and all post-launch heroes will be free for all players, which is a huge win for hero shooter fans. But when it comes to choosing which heroes and villains should follow, Marvel Rivals you might want to borrow a trick from 2022 Marvel Snap.
Marvel Rivals post-launch heroes should coincide with the MCU
Since its launch in October 2022, Marvel Snap continued to release content at a steady pace. Every month, Marvel Snap a new season begins, bringing with it new cards, new card variants, and other changes often themed around a particular Marvel Comics event. Mostly, Marvel Snap it tries to tie its seasonal content to whatever big project the MCU is releasing around the same time.
The most recent example of this was July's “Maximum Effort” season, which tied directly into the MCU. Deadpool and Wolverine. Theming a season after the release of the MCU that coincides is a great way to cross-promote and capitalize on the success of both entities, with Marvel Snap gamers are encouraged to check out the MCU project and fans of the MCU project are tempted to drop some cash on the Marvel Snaphis themed season pass.
Marvel Rivals could benefit from a similar approach. While there's no need to theme an entire season around whatever MCU project is out at the time, it would be fun to see a new MCU hero or two make their way to Marvel Rivals. For example, if/when the MCUs Blade eventually releases, it would be great to see Daywalker heading towards Marvel Rivals while capitalizing on his sudden popularity.
Marvel Rivals might already have the perfect post-launch approach locked down
while Marvel RivalsThe post-launch roadmap has yet to be officially confirmed, there have been plenty of leaks regarding the upcoming roster. It has been heavily rumored that the Fantastic Four (Invisible Woman, Mr. Fantastic, The Thing, and the Human Torch) will be heading to Marvel Rivals after launch. There is already a perfect opportunity for NetEase to follow Marvel Snapfollowing in his footsteps and releasing Fantastic Four alongside the upcoming MCU film, The Fantastic Four: First Stepswhich is due to be released in July next year.
Marvel Rivals can then continue to add heroes and villains to coincide with big MCU releases like Doctor Doom to coincide with Avengers: Doomsday in May 2026, and perhaps some alternate versions of popular heroes to tie in with Avengers: Secret Wars in the distant year 2027. Among the MCU's major projects, Marvel Rivals feel free to add any Marvel heroes or villains you like from any corner of the comic universe.