All new content coming to Marvel Rivals that we know of

To say Marvel Rivals is a smashing success would be an understatement. The game had next to no issues during launch day, contains a friendly monetization system, and features an addicting gameplay loop that's very accessible at first, yet it requires you to play it for hours to master it. NetEase succeeded where other titans of the industry such as Rocksteady and Crystal Dynamic failed, and they made it look like an easy task. But the best part? This story is just starting.

When Marvel Rivals was launched, it kicked things off with Season 0 titled Doom's Rise. This first chapter in the game featured 33 playable heroes, seven maps, four game modes, and no way to defend yourself from that annoying Iron Fist that won't stop spamming the attack button. However, in January 2025, Season 1 will begin and introduce new goodies for players to enjoy. Every season from that point onwards will last three months, and they will all come with new characters, maps, and perhaps even more. So it's time to break down all the upcoming content coming to Marvel Rivals that we know of.

New iconic villains and heroes are coming

According to data miner X0XLEAK on X (formerly Twitter), the following heroes and villains are coming to Marvel Rivals as playable characters:

• Angela
• Hit-Monkey
• Deadpool
• Captain Marvel
• Emma Frost
• Pheonix/Jean Grey
• M.O.D.O.K.
• Valkyrie

Furthermore, the renowned account Marvel Rivals News also reported the following characters will make their way into NetEase's title:

• Ultron
• Human Torch
• Blade
• The Thing
• Invisible Woman
• Mister Fantastic

It's worth remembering that even if textures and files related to a specific character are found within the game right now, they could still be a very long way off from being released. That same scenario happened with Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League where players discovered Killer Crock was supposed to be playable at some point, but it turns out the game will shut down first before that even happened. Even then, it's nice to know NetEase has plans to incorporate 14 new characters as if the 33 currently available weren't enough already. Sure, it might take months or even years to get to that point, but it looks like the waiting will be worth it

We also know the names of the powers that some of these new characters will have courtesy of the account Fumo Leaks. For example, Hit-Monkey's abilities will be: Kitten Howling, Endless Rage, Fear Hunt, and Dual Gun Shooting. Furthermore, Phoenix's powers will be: Phoenix Shadow, Phoenix Ray, Phoenix Punishment, Psychic Explosion, Telekinetic Explosion, Phoenix Wings Flying, Telekinetic Transfer, Psychokinetic Transfer, Shattered Star Impact, and Phoenix Elegy. Last but not least, the set of powers for Emma Frost is: Psychic Blast, Psychic Ray (Human Form), Psychic Ray 2, Psychic Barrier, Diamond Form, Diamond Shock, Diamond Kick, Diamond Back Slam, Soul Control, Mind Control, Mind Connection, and Piercing Spikes.

New maps are on the horizon

While it's great to know so many new characters are coming to Marvel Rivals, it's hard to deny the game would also benefit from new maps. Fortunately, we'll get three new locations to explore and wreak havoc in:

• New York
• Arakko
• Krakoa

It's nice to see that NetEases will add unique and distinctive locations from the extended Marvel universe that have been relatively unexplored in other mediums (a case that does not apply to New York, that is). Currently, we have seven different playable maps, and none of them are dedicated to Mutants. On the bright side, that will all change the moment Krakoa arrives. Besides, New York can be the perfect place to hide a great amount of easter eggs related to iconic Marvel heroes such as Daredevil, Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, Spider-Man, and so on.

Interestingly enough, it's also reported the Empire of Eternal Night could come as well, but likely as part of the New York setting. It's worth remembering that we currently have two maps centered around Yggsgard: One is the Royal Palace and the other is Yggdrasill Path. Perhaps the same scenario will come true for New York, where we could have a more traditional setting and then another one being the Empire of Eternal Night. But that's just pure speculation on our side.

A new game mode will arrive (and more could be on the way)

The one nitpick I have about Marvel Rivals is the lack of different game modes. We have three right now and two of those (Convergence and Convoy) play mostly the same. So it's good to know NetEase has plans to create many different game modes. The one most likely to come to the game is Capture the Flag, but others were found on the game's files as well:

• Arm Race Deathmatch
• Classic Hybrid Mode
• Deathmatch
• Escort Mode
• Free Fight Attack and Defence
• Mystery Hero
• Rush
• Sniper Team Deathmatch with Big Heads

Once again, it's important to clarify that just because files related to these game modes were found within NetEase's title, it doesn't mean they'll necessarily see the light of day. Most of the time, developers will have to cut content and scrap ideas to meet deadlines and reduce costs. The same scenario happened with Marvel's Spider-Man 2, as Insomniac's latest game had tons of cut content. That being said, if just four out of those nine game modes are released, then players will have plenty of different ways to experience Marvel Rivals.

There's no denying the latest PvP set in the Marvel Universe was off to a fantastic start. Now, the key is to maintain those levels of success as more months go by. Fortunately, based on everything we've discussed so far, it appears NetEase may have it all figured out. (Especially if they release that Sniper Team Deathmatch with Big Heads game mode. I need it right now.)

Marvel Rivals is out now on all major platforms.