Marvel Rivals: New Heroes Monthly and Shorter Seasons Starting Season 3

Get ready, Marvel Rivals fans! NetEase has announced exciting updates to keep the game vibrant and engaging. Starting with Season 3, the developers plan to introduce new heroes every month, shifting from their previous schedule of two heroes per season. This thrilling news was shared by Marvel Rivals' Creative Director Guangguang and Lead Combat Designer Zhiyong during the Dev Vision Vol. 05 on April 4. Alongside this, seasons will be shortened from three months to two, ensuring a faster pace of new content.

Guangguang explained, "After extensive internal discussions and thorough evaluation, we’ve decided that starting from Season 3, the seasons will shift to a two-month format, with a new hero debuting each month." This change aims to keep the game as fresh as it was at launch, responding to community feedback and the pressure to maintain excitement since December. The team is also exploring the addition of new game modes to further enhance the player experience, which could lead to up to 12 new heroes being added annually.

Balancing these frequent hero introductions is a significant challenge, but Guangguang emphasized the team's commitment to using key metric data, such as pick rates, win rates, and ability stats, to ensure fair gameplay. This data-driven approach was highlighted in an interview with PC Gamer on March 14, underscoring the developers' dedication to maintaining game balance.

Season 2 Details and Future Plans

Season 2, known as Hellfire Gala, introduces a new hero, Emma Frost, an X-Men villain with telepathic powers and the ability to transform objects into diamonds. In this season, heroes are invited to the Mutant haven of the Living Island Krakoa for a lavish celebration inspired by Marvel’s Hellfire Club, a group of influential elites. The trailer for Season 2 showcased new skins for characters like Luna Snow, Magneto, Cloak and Dagger, and Black Panther, all dressed in elegant attire.

Following Emma Frost's debut, Season 2.5 will introduce Ultron, a notorious Marvel villain. The Hellfire Gala trailer hints at Ultron's arrival, showing his robots disrupting the party and signaling the beginning of the Age of Ultron. Further details on Ultron's integration into the game are yet to be revealed.

New Skins for Thor and Hawkeye

On April 4, Marvel Rivals announced via Twitter (X) the availability of new skins for Thor and Hawkeye. Thor's Lord of Asgard skin draws inspiration from his comic revival by Odin, while Hawkeye's Ronin skin reflects his vigilante samurai persona from the comics. The Thor Rune King bundle includes the Rune King costume, spray, nameplate, The Omniscient MVP, and Well of Mimir emote. Meanwhile, the Hawkeye Ronin bundle features the Ronin skin, spray, nameplate, Deadly Rain MVP, and Hone to Perfection emote.

These updates underscore NetEase's commitment to supporting Marvel Rivals for a decade and beyond. Available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, the game continues to evolve with fresh content and exciting changes. Stay tuned for more updates and immerse yourself in the ever-expanding universe of Marvel Rivals.