Marvel Rivals Dev Faces Social Media Pressure, Announces Major Season 3 Changes

NetEase Games is making significant changes to the post-launch roadmap for Marvel Rivals, aiming to keep the game's momentum strong by shortening its seasons and introducing at least one new hero every month. This major update to the content release schedule was highlighted in the Marvel Rivals Season 2 Dev Vision Vol. 5 video. The video, which runs for 15 minutes, revealed that Season 2 will kick off on April 11 with the introduction of the new Vanguard, Emma Frost. Mid-season, fans can look forward to Ultron, whose class will be disclosed closer to his launch. Both characters are set to bring fresh abilities to the game, but the real shift in how heroes impact gameplay will start with Season 3.

In Marvel Rivals Season 3, which does not yet have a set release date, NetEase plans to reduce season lengths from three months to two. This change will allow for more rapid content updates while maintaining the commitment to release at least one new hero every half-season. This means that after Emma Frost's launch next week, the wait for Ultron will be a month and a half, but subsequent hero releases will come even quicker.

Guangyun Chen, the creative director of Marvel Rivals, shared in the Dev Vision video that since the launch of Season 1, the team has been focused on ensuring the game remains fun and engaging. Social media feedback has added pressure to keep the excitement levels high, and Chen acknowledged that the team agrees with the community's sentiments. He emphasized that the goal is to keep the audience's excitement alive, similar to the game's opening months, and that the real adventure with Marvel Rivals is just beginning. Chen also mentioned that NetEase aims to fulfill players' fantasies about Marvel Super Heroes by introducing new modes and a diverse roster of characters. After 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's launch.

Just hours ago, NetEase unveiled details about 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 more information to be released in the coming weeks.

Marvel Rivals launched to great success in December, attracting 10 million players within three days. The game, a free-to-play superhero team-based PvP shooter, was released on December 6 across PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and S. On Steam, the launch saw 480,990 concurrent players, and Season 1 in January peaked at 644,269 concurrent players, making Marvel Rivals the 15th most-played game on Valve's platform. However, concurrent player numbers have been declining, which may have prompted NetEase's roadmap changes. Despite this, Marvel Rivals remains highly popular and is among Steam's most-played games. The launch of Season 2 and the anticipated Season 3 are expected to boost player engagement.

For more insights into Marvel Rivals, check out the patch notes for update version 20250327 and learn why Disney decided to scrap the idea for a Marvel Gaming Universe.