Marvel announces new free-to-play multiplayer game that some are calling ‘Overwatch for heroes’

Marvel has announced a new multiplayer game that brings together favorite heroes and villains.

Marvel Rivals is a player-versus-player (PVP) multiplayer experience where teams of six compete to claim territory and capture resources, similar to titles like Overwatch and Apex Legends.

Marvel teamed up with Chinese studio NetEase Games, home to developers of multiplayer blockbusters like Call of Duty and Battlefield, on the upcoming title.

The game is free to play on PC and features a selection of 18 heroes and villains, including Iron Man, Black Panther, Spider-Man, Loki, Magneto and Scarlet Witch.

At least twelve of these characters will be playable in a closed alpha test starting in May.

There are no official release details for the full game.

The announcement comes amid internal turmoil at Marvel, with reports of owner Disney ‘killing’ projects after films like The Marvels and Ant-Man missed the mark.

The game features 18 heroes and villains, including Iron Man, Black Panther, Spider-Man, Loki, Magneto and Scarlet Witch

The official description reads: ‘Marvel Rivals features a storyline created by the NetEase writing team in which the merciless clash between tyrannical dictator Doctor Doom and his future counterpart from the year 2099 has forced countless universes to collide in the Timestream Entanglement, creating new worlds origins and crises still unknown.’

“Now, superheroes and supervillains from across the multiverse must fight together and against each other, as disparate groups attempt to defeat both Dooms before anyone achieves domination of these realities.”

NetEase also partners with Marvel for mobile titles such as Marvel Duel and Marvel Super War.

Haluk Mentes, head of Marvel Games, said: “Marvel Rivals is one of our most ambitious game development projects.”

Each character has their own special ability, and some can team up for combos

Battleground settings include Asgard and Tokyo 2099, among other secret locations

“Since the game’s conceptualization and throughout our collaboration, our Marvel team has poured our heart and soul into this project, and we’re thrilled to be working with the incredible team at NetEase Games to deliver the ultimate Super Hero team-based PVP shooter to help realize this. .’

Yuri Lowenthal, the voice of Peter Parker in Marvel and Insomniac’s Spider-Man series, will be everyone’s favorite web-slinger, although no other casting announcements have been made.

The announcement trailer shows off a variety of heroes and villains showing off their signature moves, like Doctor Strange using his swing ring to open portals for his teammates and the Hulk doing what he does best: punching.

Battleground settings include Asgard and Tokyo 2099.

Fans on social media have compared the game to Overwatch, a free-to-play PVP multiplayer title developed by Blizzard Entertainment, which averages almost 7 million players per day.

On X, formerly known as Twitter, user Astro Cyborg said: ‘It’s f’n Overwatch lmfaoo.’

X user Joe Valentine wrote, “This actually looks pretty dope. Who cares if it’s an OW rip-off. Everything is a rip off of something!’

And KillerBodDad said, “This has to be a mix of smite and Overwatch!”

A unique feature of Marvel Rivals, however, is the Team-Up moves, where multiple characters use their powers for an extra-effective combo.

Some examples include pairing Guardians of the Galaxy team members Groot and Rocket Raccoon for a mix of gunplay and melee or the Hulk Powering Iron Man suit with gamma radiation.

Stephen Wu, producer of Marvel Rivals, said: “We’re thrilled to bring Marvel Rivals to players around the world.”

“We’ve always loved Marvel’s universe and its characters, and we’re so excited to develop this game.”

“This is the game we want to make, and we feel very fortunate to be the team that made it all happen.”