Marvel Rivals gets a new Spider-Man suit and exciting updates

After many beta tests, community feedback, and exciting announcements, Marvel Rivals is finally just around the corner. On December 6, players around the world and across all platforms will be able to play as their favorite hero or villain in this Marvel PVP Shooter. So in anticipation of the big day, developer Net Ease released a video to announce what to expect in terms of post-launch content, how seasons will work, and give us a small glimpse of what costumes we'll get for each character. Speaking of which, there's a brief but spectacular Spider-Man clip that gives us a hint as to one of the wall-crawler's alternate suits and it's simply beautiful (but more on that later).

Marvel Rivals roadmap revealed

On December 6, Season 0 of Marvel Rivals, titled "Dooms' Rise", will officially kick off. It will consist of 33 heroes (with 27 already announced and the rest waiting to enter the spotlight), 8 maps for quick and competitive matches, one conquest map, and a practice range. As with any good live-service game, it will feature an overarching story that starts with Doctor Doom tampering with the flow of time, creating four new "Chronoverses" in the process. While it remains to be seen exactly how will they affect gameplay, chances are each one will have different maps and arenas. It's also mentioned that every match will tell a bit more of the story, which could be accomplished by easter eggs scattered on the arenas like many other multiplayer games do.

Early January 2025, the first season of Marvel Rivals will begin. Each season will last about three months and they will all feature new playable heroes, maps, team-up abilities, game modes, and, of course, battle passes. However, Net Ease once again assured us the game won't be pay-to-win. Instead, monetization will be based purely on costumes and "cosmetics goodies" — which are likely customizable elements such as players' cards or banners. On a personal note, I feel this is the best way to go about any live-service title. No player likes to feel they are miss being tricked into spending money in a game to get the full experience. Cosmetics, on the other hand, are simple visual upgrades that are not too expensive and that you can get every once in a while.

Speaking of new cool-looking suits, we got a glimpse of an alternate Spider-Man skin that sees him in civilian clothes with a paper bag covering his head. It is an original design, but it is inspired by the Bombastic Bag-Man Spidey costume as evidenced by his backpack plushy. In comic book pages (and a great number of video games), the Bombastic Bag-Man look is made by a spare Fantastic Four suit with a paper bag to use as a mask. Needless to say, it's a great new addition to the wall-crawler's wardrobe as it is a mix of something fans instantly recognize while also having its own unique spin.

It's only a matter of weeks before we finally figure out if Net Easy crafted a unique and engaging experience that can stand the test of time. But I'm very optimistic about Marvel Rivals given that new levels or missions won't be hidden behind a paywall and that seasons won't be very long (allowing for new content to come more often). Recently we've seen no shortage of games attempt to join on the live-service wagon only to fail spectacularly (such as Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League and Concord). So fingers crossed Marvel found the secret recipe to make its latest project a smashing success.

Marvel Rivals will be released on December 6 on all major platforms.