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Marvel Rivals is the hottest superhero team-based PVP shooter on the block, with developers NetEase Games and Marvel Entertainment giving players the chance to fill in the shoes of their favorite Marvel superhero and fight against others. Whether you’re a fan of Guardians of the Galaxy, The Avengers, or just X-Men, you’re bound to find a character you love to play in Marvel Rivals.
Despite arguments that hero shooters are dying out, the love for Marvel only seems to grow stronger. The closed beta in July was massively successful, and thankfully, now we know the Marvel Rivals release date, and it’s much closer than first anticipated.
If you were looking for a game to fill the Overwatch hole in your life with something a little different, look no further than Marvel Rivals. But if you’re unsure, check out our hub to find out everything you need to know, including more information about gameplay, system requirements, and that all-important release date.
Marvel Rivals Release Date
Confirmed Release Date: December 6, 2024
Marvel Rivals release date is confirmed to be December 6, 2024. This announcement comes after speculation that the game would arrive sometime in early 2025, undercutting the initial announcement by a fair few months.
The game has had both open and closed betas, allowing fans to play for themselves. With a confirmed Marvel Rivals initial release date, the wait to jump back in and play with heroes from across the Marvel universe is nearly over. After the initial wait, it will take several months for new characters to roll out as the title expands in popularity and player base over time.
Marvel Rivals Price
Marvel Rivals is Completely Free-to-play
The Marvel Rivals price is free-to-play, so it won’t cost anything, no matter the platform on which you play it. We’ve seen many triple-A developers adopt this business model in recent years to great success, and considering NetEase Games’ portfolio of big-name licensed games, such as Lord of the Rings: War and Harry Potter Magic Awakened, it’s not too big of a shock. There’s also the massively popular free-to-play survival shooter Once Human under its belt.
With that said, the battle pass and cosmetics like skins will cost money, but once the game is fully released, we can confirm how much the price of these items will be. That puts Marvel Rivals price in the same league as Overwatch 2, Apex Legends, Fortnite, and more of the best free games available because the only associated costs are purely optional.
Marvel Rivals Platforms
PC, Xbox Series X/S, and PS5
NetEase has a fair share of experience in the mobile game market, but Marvel Rivals doesn’t seem likely to be part of its mobile portfolio. However, the confirmed Marvel Rivals platforms are the PS5, PC, and Xbox Series X/S, with crossplay to boot, so players can play with the entire game’s player base. Time will tell whether this hero shooter can be considered among the best crossplay games available.
It is unknown whether Marvel Rivals will eventually make its way to the Nintendo Switch. Other hero shooters like Apex Legends have their place on Nintendo’s handheld console.
Still, considering the rumors of a new Nintendo Switch console on the way, we speculate that if Marvel Rivals does come to the Switch, it will not be on the original or the Nintendo Switch OLED, but that remains to be confirmed. Considering the visual fidelity of the game, it appears it could be too powerful for weaker hardware.
Marvel Rivals Trailers
Several Trailers Revealed, Showing Characters and Gameplay
If you’ve been in desperate need of Marvel Rivals trailers to watch, then you’ve come to the right place. Marvel has revealed a selection of trailers for the superhero PvP shooter, from character announcements to cinematic stories that clue players in on what they can expect from the game at launch.
First, the announcement trailer. Here, we got to see some superhero legends that players would get to grips with only a few weeks later in Marvel Rivals closed beta, such as Magik, Hulk, Iron Man, Doctor Strange, Rocket Raccoon, Spider-Man, and Luna Snow. Maps and superpowers were also revealed, with Bruce Banner transforming into The Incredible Hulk and Magik transforming into her dark alter-ego, Darkchilde.
Most exciting of all, however, was the reveal of Marvel Rivals gameplay and how each superhero played differently. Spider-Man’s ability to web swing versus Doctor Strange’s flight, as well as the speed and healing abilities of Luna Snow. Even the ability to destroy the surroundings around you was a significant reveal in the Marvel Rivals announcement trailer.
The trailer ends with six other superheroes hinted at coming to the game, which was later revealed to be Storm, Scarlet Witch, Star-Lord, Magneto, Punisher, and Mantis.
Next comes the Marvel Rivals console release date and announcement trailer. This trailer doesn’t show off anything that fans haven’t already seen, but we do get a sneak peek of characters that were hinted at in the announcement trailer. It is then revealed that Marvel Rivals will be coming to PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.
Last but not least is the cinematic teaser trailer, which has a tremendous amount of epic action and combat. While there were no Marvel Rivals features or gameplay shown, players learn that the superheroes’ in-fighting is explained by the simple fact that Doctor Doom is messing around and causing complete and utter chaos.
It’s a stylish, cinematic trailer to watch, with a gorgeous art style that’s as close to the game as it can get without being actual in-game models. More importantly, it gives us a hint on what we can expect from the ‘story’ of this hero PvP shooter when it’s fully launched. If there’s one thing that’s clear, Doctor Doom’s about to get a butt-kicking.
Marvel Rivals Characters
Launches with 25 Playable Heroes
More combatants from the Marvel universe will be added as the game progresses. Leaks have already indicated that characters like Wolverine will be added to the game.
Marvel Rivals characters span the staples you would expect, such as Spider-Man, Punisher, Magneto, Hulk, Iron Man, and Thor, to deeper cuts, such as Peni Parker, Magik, Luna Snow, and Jeff the Land Shark. Launching with a variety of 25 heroes ensures you shouldn’t get bored any time soon.
Marvel Rivals System Requirements
Humble Minimum Specs on PC
For PC users, here are the Marvel Rivals system requirements in full:
| Component | Minimum Settings | Recommended Settings |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Intel Core i5-6600K / AMD Ryzen 5 1600X | Intel Core i5-10400 / AMD Ryzen 5 5600X |
| GPU | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 / AMD RX 580 | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Super / AMD RX 5700-XT |
| Memory | 16GB RAM | 16GB RAM |
| OS | Windows 10 64-bit or higher | Windows 10 64-bit or higher |
| Storage | 70GB SSD | 70GB SSD |
| Network and Drivers | Broadband; DirectX 12 | Broadband; DirectX 12 |
Keep in mind that the minimum and recommended specs for the game are to play at 1080p while maintaining either 30fps or 60fps.
If you want to get the most out of the game’s visual fidelity and push the framerates higher, you’re going to need more power under the hood.
For optimal play for Marvel Rivals system requirements, we recommend running either an RTX 40 series or AMD Ryzen 7000 GPU, especially for those wanting to play the shooter in 1440p and 4K.
Latest Marvel Rivals News
Marvel Rivals Roster & Release Date was Finalized at Gamescom
A new Marvel Rivals trailer, ‘Stars Aligned,’ was revealed at Gamescom 2024. We had known previously that the hero shooter would be featured in the show, but it was uncertain whether a new character or a release date would be revealed. As it turns out, both were announced during Gamescom.
The Marvel Rivals details from the trailer revealed two upcoming characters, Captain America and Winter Soldier (Bucky Barnes), who complete the full initial roster. Captain America and Winter Soldier are fan favorites within the Marvel universe, and it was only a matter of time before they would end up on the already immaculate Marvel Rivals roster. And, as per usual, the trailer shows them butting heads while the nefarious Doctor Doom looks on.
Captain America’s gameplay shows him using his mighty shield to attack enemies at a distance, as well as seemingly reflecting even the strongest of attacks (both projectiles and melee). As for the Winter Soldier, his metal arm does more than just damage others. It can wrap around the enemy and pull them towards him so that he can finish them off with a gunshot to the face. His movement is no joke.
Ultimately, the biggest reveal was the Marvel Rivals release date: December 6, 2024. Originally there had been speculation that the game would be in players’ hands by early 2025, but it seems as though Marvel and NetEase have confidence in their game to give it a December release. Christmas has come early!
We’ll no doubt see future expansions throughout next year, but it means the wait is nearly over.
The Bottom Line
Marvel Rivals certainly looks and sounds the part with its impressive array of iconic characters, fast-paced gameplay, and competitive game modes. Time will tell whether it can dethrone its competition, such as Overwatch 2, but with the backing of Marvel behind it, and the impressive pedigree of the development team, it’s definitely possible.
What is Marvel Rivals?
New Free-to-play Hero Shooter From the Team behind Once Human
Marvel Rivals is a 6v6 PvP shooter, but instead of guns, you’ve got superheroes and their numerous abilities and powers across the entirety of Marvel. If you want to play as Storm from X-Men, you can. Or maybe Iron Man from The Avengers; you can do that too!
The game is free-to-play but uses a seasonal model and a battle pass – both of which are expected from a game of this genre. Here, players can use real money to purchase the pass and get access to a unique number of skins and cosmetics or ignore it completely. Either way, players will need to participate in matches to earn EXP towards the battle pass (regardless of whether it is the free pass or premium) and earn rewards for their efforts.
Marvel Rivals will have seasons, and as such, players can expect new characters to be added to the game too. So, if your favorite Marvel character isn’t there already, there’s always a chance they will be added in the future.
