Change is set to occur in Marvel Rivals, extending beyond the addition of new characters like Emma Frost and Ultron to its roster. NetEase Games is implementing a significant alteration to the game’s post-launch strategy by revising its seasonal schedule, thereby affecting the rate at which new heroes are introduced.
Following the conclusion of Season 2, future seasons will last two months each, with a new playable character added every month. The initial seasons of Rivals—whose success largely influenced this decision—were on a three-month cycle, akin to other live-service games like Fortnite and Call of Duty: Warzone, with a new hero being introduced every six weeks. According to director Guangyun Chen, this new structure aims to achieve “the fundamental dream to integrate even more exciting Marvel heroes into Marvel Rivals.” Chen also hinted at upcoming game modes designed to further realize “everyone’s fantasies about Marvel superheroes."
Introducing a new hero each month is an ambitious promise, although NetEase has previously announced that many characters are prepared for release. In comparison, Rivals will have a slightly shorter seasonal schedule than Overwatch 2, its closest competitor, which has nine-week seasons and usually introduces a new hero, map, or both. By the end of 2025, Rivals might feature nearly 50 heroes, a prospect that does not seem to concern Marvel. In March, Danny Koo from Marvel Games mentioned to GamesRadar that the developers “just throw everything at [the sky], and fun chaos is the key,” indicating that a growing roster provides players with more choices.
There are numerous characters who could potentially join Marvel Rivals, and comic fans would be thrilled to see an extensive lineup. It remains to be seen in real-time whether the monthly introduction strategy is effective and how well NetEase manages the balance of an expanding roster.
