As evidenced by recent contenders likeConcord, the hero shooter market is currently a bit full. ButMarvel Rivalslooks like it could be an exception to the rule, a rare newcomer to the genre that actually stands a strong chance of going toe-to-toe with the likes ofOverwatch. Back in July,Marvel Rivalshosted a series of closed playtests. On their first day, these playtests managed to bring in an impressive 52,000 players on PC alone, a feat that set the bar high forMarvel Rivals' eventual launch. That day is almost here.
Marvel Rivalswill release on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC on Jul 03, 2025, and all signs are pointing towards it being a huge day for the hero shooter genre. Along with an extensive cast of playable heroes and villains,Marvel Rivals' launchwill bring with it an array of maps, a ton of cosmetics inspired by all corners of the Marvel multimedia universe, and a slew of other features fans should know about.
Every Feature Confirmed for Marvel Rivals' December 9 Launch
Marvel Rivals Will Have 33 Playable Heroes During Its Launch Window
A hero shooter is only as good as its core cast of playable characters, and thankfully,Marvel Rivalsis set to deliver a packed roster on launch. There are currently 27 confirmed playable heroes and villains forMarvel Rivals, all of which will be available on its December 6 release day:
According to developer NetEase’s latest “Dev Vision” video,Marvel Rivals' rosterwill contain an impressive total of 33 playable characters at launch for its initial season, Season 0.
While NetEase hasn’t confirmed any of these six additional heroes, it’s been heavily rumored thatHawkeye, Human Torch, Ultron, and Bladecould all also appear inMarvel Rivalsin the near future. With a countdown reiterating its roster up until launch, the remaining six characters are soon to be officially revealed.
Marvel Rivals Will Launch With 9 Maps
It’s also been confirmed thatMarvel Rivalswill receive nine maps during its first month. Eight of these maps will be available for both Quick Play andCompetitive 6v6 matches, four of which were already available during the closed playtests, those being:
That means another four Quick Play/Competitive maps will becoming toMarvel Rivalsin December, though it’s unconfirmed where they’ll be set.Marvel Rivalswill also feature one Conquest map during its launch window.
Conquest is essentiallyMarvel Rivals' team deathmatch mode, where both teams' aim is to simply eliminate as many opposing players as possible within a time limit. This differs quite a bit fromMarvel Rivals' more objective-based modes, like Convoy (payload), Domination (king of the hill), and Convergence (a hybrid mix of both).
Marvel Rivalswill also receive a Practice Range mode during its initial launch window.
Marvel Rivals' Evolving Story Begins Straight Away
MuchlikeFortnite,Call of Duty: Warzone, and other giants of the live-service genre,Marvel Rivalswill feature an ambitious, ever-evolving narrative. Every season,Marvel Rivalswill introduce new story elements, and it all begins with Season 0.
Beginning on December 6,Marvel Rivals' “Doom’s Rise” Season 0will set the stage for what could be the start of a very special Marvel universe story. This initial season will see Doctor Doom’s experiments with the Timestream Entanglement result in the creation of four Chronoverses: a 2099 timeline, a present timeline where evil runs rampant, a Mosaic timeline that’s unstable, and a Collapsing timeline where even the gods can die.
InMarvel Rivals' recent Dev Vision video, the game’s Creative Director states that “futures, pasts, and alternate realities will be woven into [Marvel Rivals'] ever-evolving narrative.”
Marvel Rivals' Season 1 Begins in January 2025
Season 0, titled “Doom’s Rise,” will last for just a month, ending in early January of next year. Season 0 will be quickly succeeded byMarvel RivalsSeason 1, which will launch in January 2025.
As things currently stand, each season ofMarvel Rivalswill last around three months and will bring with it “new heroes, maps, team-up abilities, and maybe new game modes,” according to the recentNetEase Dev Vision breakdown. Alongside those free additions,Marvel Rivalswill receive a new battle pass every season, bringing with it a slew of cosmetics such as skins and emblems.
As Season 0 is only a month long, its battle pass will be shorter and its price will reflect its length, though that price is currently unconfirmed. Three skins have already been confirmed for the Season 0 battle pass, those being aSuperior Iron Manskin, a Bombastic Bag-Man-inspired Spidey skin, and aThor: Love and Thunder-inspired skin for the Norse god.
