Marvel Rivals Announces Frequency of New Hero Releases

Summary

• Marvel Rivals plans to add a new hero about every 45 days, totaling eight heroes yearly.
• The title launched with 33 playable heroes.
• Many fans think this sounds too ambitious, with the time required to playtest new heroes causing concerns.

Marvel Rivals, the exciting new third-person hero shooter, has been making waves in the online gaming community since its launch in December 2024. With an initial roster of 33 playable heroes featuring iconic Marvel characters like Spider-Man, Wolverine, and The Hulk, the game has seen immense success, drawing in an impressive 20 million players within its first month.

As Season 1 progresses, Marvel Rivals continues to expand its universe by introducing new heroes. The Fantastic Four are the first set of post-launch characters, with Mister Fantastic and Invisible Woman already enhancing the gameplay experience. The Thing and Human Torch, the remaining members of the Fantastic Four, are scheduled to join the fray during the latter half of Season 1. Additionally, two new maps set in New York City have been added, providing more battlegrounds for Marvel enthusiasts to explore.

In a recent interview with Metro, Marvel Rivals' Game Director Guangyun Chen shared the ambitious plan to release new heroes approximately every 45 days. This schedule divides each three-month season into two halves, with a new hero introduced in each segment. This approach aims to deliver a total of eight new heroes annually, significantly outpacing competitor Overwatch 2, which releases three new heroes per year.

Marvel Rivals Wants to Release a New Hero Every 45 Days

Such an ambitious release schedule has sparked both excitement and skepticism among fans. Marvel Rivals benefits from a vast array of characters from the Marvel Comics universe, including unique additions like Jeff the Shark and Squirrel Girl, showcasing NetEase's willingness to explore lesser-known heroes. However, the challenge lies in the development and testing phase, where each new hero must be meticulously balanced against the existing 37 heroes and around 100 abilities. Concerns also arise about the potential exhaustion of innovative ideas for new abilities. Unless Marvel Rivals has a significant backlog of unreleased heroes ready for deployment, maintaining a new hero every 45 days could prove challenging.

As Season 1 continues, fans eagerly await the addition of The Thing and Human Torch to complete the Fantastic Four lineup. There's also anticipation for possible new maps or in-game events in the second half of the season. Marvel Rivals enthusiasts should stay tuned to the game's social media channels for the latest updates and announcements.