NetEase Games is making significant adjustments to the Marvel Rivals post-launch roadmap, aiming to keep the momentum of its live service thriving among players. The company plans to shorten its seasons to two months from three and commit to introducing at least one new hero every month. This update was hinted at during the Marvel Rivals Season 2 Dev Vision Vol. 5 video, which highlighted the upcoming Season 2 launch on April 11 with the new Vanguard, Emma Frost. Mid-season, Ultron will join the fray, with his class details to be announced nearer to his debut. Both characters are set to bring fresh abilities to the game, but the real transformation in gameplay dynamics is slated to begin with Season 3.
In the yet-to-be-dated Season 3, NetEase will accelerate the pace of major content updates while maintaining their pledge to release a new hero every half-season. This means players will experience a more rapid introduction of new content without extending the wait times significantly between hero releases.
Marvel Rivals creative director Guangyun Chen elaborated on these changes in the Dev Vision video, stating, “Since the launch of Season 1, we’ve been deeply contemplating how Marvel Rivals can continuously deliver fun and engaging experiences for you all. During this time, several discussions on social media have certainly added some pressure on us to keep the game as exciting as it has been since December. To a certain extent, we agree.”
Chen emphasized NetEase’s goal to sustain the initial excitement of the game, noting, “With our goal of keeping the audience’s excitement alive just like our opening months, the real adventure with Marvel Rivals is just beginning.” He further explained that NetEase aims to fulfill players’ fantasies about Marvel Super Heroes by introducing new modes and expanding the roster with diverse characters. Following extensive internal discussions and evaluations, NetEase will adjust its systems to accommodate the increased content flow, with more details to be shared before Season 3 launches.
Just hours ago, NetEase pulled back the curtain on Marvel Rivals Season 2, announcing a shift from the vampire takeover theme to a new storyline centered around the Hellfire Gala. This change will bring new outfits, maps, and characters, with further details to be revealed in the coming weeks.
Since its explosive launch on December 6 across PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and S, Marvel Rivals has seen tremendous success. It garnered 10 million players within just three days of its release. The launch on Steam was particularly impressive, with a peak of 480,990 concurrent players. Season 1 in January further boosted the game's popularity, reaching 644,269 concurrent players and making it the 15th most-played game on Valve's platform.
However, the game has experienced a decline in concurrent players since then, possibly prompting NetEase's drastic roadmap changes. Despite this, Marvel Rivals remains one of Steam's most-played games. The launch of Season 2 is expected to rejuvenate interest, with Season 3 set to continue this trend.
For more insights on Marvel Rivals, you can explore the patch notes for update version 20250327 and learn why Disney decided to scrap an idea for a Marvel Gaming Universe.
