Marvel Rivals revealed as a free-to-play 6v6 shooter for PC, with an alpha test in May
NetEase Games and Marvel Games have been officially unveiled Marvel Rivalsa free-to-play team-based PvP shooter in development for PC.
Marvel Rivalswhich is expected to release on Steam and the Epic Games Store, is similar to that of Overwatch, because it is a 6v6 multiplayer experience. But it stands out for its third-person perspective and destructible environments, a feature that affects gameplay by “reshaping the terrain to create tactical advantages.”
Additionally, Marvel Rivals will feature a storyline interwoven through the battles and written by NetEase, where the clash between Doctor Doom and his future counterpart from the year 2099 has forced universes to collide in the Timestream Entanglement, “creating new worlds and yet unknown crises to arise.”
The shooter features a selection of iconic Marvel heroes and villains to choose from, including Iron Man, Spider-Man, Black Panther, Hulk, Loki, Rocket Raccoon, Groot, Scarlet Witch, Magneto, Storm, Magik and more.
The first gameplay trailer shows some of these heroes in action, and how they have been visually adapted from the comics they come from. Spider-Man has his web shooters, Iron Man has his flight and laser beams, and Doctor Strange has his magic, and it looks like each character will have a kit with at least five skills respectively.
What’s interesting is that Marvel Rivals also features something called Team-Up Skills, a mechanic that allows heroes and villains to coordinate unique combinations of their powers, creating a synergy ability.
In the trailer, we see Rocket Raccoon using a Team-Up Skill by jumping on Groot’s back to take out enemies, alongside Hulk and Iron Man, who use their combined techniques to unleash Gamma Energy.
“We are thrilled to bring Marvel Rivals for players all over the world. We have always loved the Marvel Universe and its characters, and we are so excited to develop this game,” said Marvel Rivals producer, Stephen Wu in a press release. “This is the game we want to make, and we feel very fortunate to be the team that made it all happen.”
NetEase has confirmed that the game will offer players the chance to explore other Marvel worlds, including Asgard and Tokyo 2099, and as previously mentioned, battles will result in environmental destruction, powered by hero powers that can reshape the terrain.
Marvel Rivals doesn’t have a release date yet, but the developer has confirmed that there will be seasonal releases that will introduce new heroes and cards. There’s also a chance to try out the game as the first alpha test goes live in May and more details will follow.
“Marvel Rivals is one of our most ambitious game development projects,” said Jay Ong, EVP and Head of Marvel Games. “Since the game’s conceptualization and throughout our collaboration, our Marvel team has poured our heart and soul into this project, and we are I’m excited to work with the great team at NetEase Games to help deliver the ultimate Super Hero Team-Based PVP Shooter.”