NetEase Games is significantly revamping the Marvel Rivals post-launch roadmap, aiming to shorten its seasons and introduce at least one new hero every month. This strategic shift is designed to sustain the live service momentum and keep players engaged in the ever-evolving world of Marvel Rivals.
The new roadmap was hinted at during the Marvel Rivals Season 2 Dev Vision Vol. 5 video, which provided a 15-minute deep dive into the upcoming changes. Season 2, set to launch on April 11, will introduce the new Vanguard hero, Emma Frost, at the outset. Mid-season, fans can look forward to Ultron, with his class details to be unveiled closer to his release. Both heroes will bring fresh abilities to the game, promising to keep the gameplay dynamic and exciting. However, the most significant changes to the hero roster and their impact on matches are slated for Season 3.
In Season 3, which currently lacks a specific release date, NetEase plans to reduce the season duration from three months to just two. This adjustment will accelerate the pace of major content updates while maintaining the commitment to release at least one new hero every half-season. Following Emma Frost's launch, players will wait only a month and a half for Ultron, but subsequent waits will be much shorter.
Marvel Rivals creative director Guangyun Chen shared insights into these changes in the Dev Vision video, stating, "Since the launch of Season 1, we’ve been deeply contemplating how Marvel Rivals can continuously deliver a fun and engaging experience for you all. Several discussions on social media have certainly added some pressure on us to keep the game as exciting as it has been since December. To a certain extent, we agree."
Chen further elaborated on NetEase's goal to keep the audience's excitement alive, akin to the game's opening months, and emphasized that the real adventure with Marvel Rivals is just beginning. He highlighted the intention to fulfill everyone's fantasies about Marvel Super Heroes by exploring new modes and introducing a diverse roster of characters. After extensive internal discussions and evaluations, NetEase will adjust its systems to accommodate this increased content flow, with more details to be revealed before Season 3 launches.
Just hours ago, NetEase pulled back the curtain on Marvel Rivals Season 2, announcing a shift from the vampire takeover theme to a new storyline centered around the Hellfire Gala. This change promises new outfits, maps, and characters, with further information set to be disclosed in the coming weeks.
Since its launch in December, Marvel Rivals has been a massive success, attracting 10 million players within three days. The game, a free-to-play superhero team-based PvP shooter, was released across PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and S. The launch on Steam was particularly notable, with 480,990 concurrent players. Season 1 in January saw an impressive peak of 644,269 concurrent players, ranking Marvel Rivals as the 15th most-played game on Valve's platform.
Despite a decline in concurrent players since then, Marvel Rivals remains a top game on Steam. The upcoming Season 2 and the subsequent Season 3 are expected to reinvigorate the player base. For more details on Marvel Rivals, be sure to check out the patch notes for update version 20250327 as well as why Disney decided to scrap an idea for a Marvel Gaming Universe.
