Marvel Rivalshas been quite a success since its launch last month. The NetEase hero shooter received primarily positive reviews and drew in 10 million players within the first 72 hours of its release. It’s no surprise thatMarvel Rivals' combination of beloved characters like Spider-Man, Iron Man, and Wolverine with anOverwatch-style PvP format piqued players' interest. What is surprising is that this live service game garnered so much success before its first season has even started.
Marvel Rivals' Season 0 will end on January 10 according to the game’s current battle pass, meaning that Season 1 will start shortly after. The first full season is expected to bring new maps, characters, cosmetics, and modes — like therumored Capture the Flag mode— to the game. After official artwork regarding upcoming characters was leaked earlier this week,Marvel Rivalsconfirmed that The Fantastic Four — Mr. Fantastic, The Invisible Woman, The Human Torch, and The Thing — will be added in Season 1. This is big news for Marvel’s often forgotten first family, but it could mean that one leaked villain is further off than fans were expecting.
How The Fantastic Four’s Confirmation Could Impact Ultron
It’s no surprise that The Fantastic Four is coming toMarvel Rivals. In addition toMr. Fantastic being leaked as a playable characterat the start of this past December,The Fantastic Four: First Stepsis many fans' most anticipated MCU release for this year. The Fantastic Four is also a great pick forMarvel Rivals' roster, as each character can lend a completely different playstyle to the game. Mr. Fantastic and The Human Torch could easily fill the game’s Duelist role. The Invisible Woman makes sense as a Strategist, and the Thing would be a perfect Vanguard to combat The Hulk. However, with the first season ofMarvel Rivalsseemingly being based around The Fantastic Four, the anticipated addition of Ultron to the game seems less likely for the near future.
Ultron’s Initial Marvel Rivals Leak
Posted on X by popular leaker RivalsLeaks, files in the game have already indicated thatUltron will be making an appearance inMarvel Rivals. The character is supposedly a Strategist with a two-star difficulty rating. He will have access to an energy beam attack, drones that can heal allies as well as damage enemies, and a flight ability similar to Iron Man’s. RivalsLeaks had stated that Ultron would be making his way to Marvel Rivals in Season 1, but his inclusion seems less likely with the season’s Fantastic Four theme.
Ultron’s Clash with The Fantastic Four
Though The Fantastic Four and Ultron are both some of Marvel’s more iconic characters, they don’t exactly mesh well together. Ultron is generally associated with The Avengers. His first full appearance in the comics was in issue 55 ofThe Avengers, and he was alsothe main antagonist of 2015’sAvengers: Age of Ultron. While Ultron has crossed paths with The Fantastic Four before in the comic universe, it would be a stretch to call him a Fantastic Four villain.
This isn’t to say that Ultron won’t be coming inMarvel Rivals' Season 1, but it doesn’t seem as likely following The Fantastic Four’s announcement. Ultron would muddle a Fantastic Four theme, and his presence isn’t totally necessary since The Fantastic Four will already be adding four new heroes to the whopping 33 already in the game. Ultron might be more timely ifMarvel Rivalshad a mid-season event that was more appropriately themed for the character, but as of now, it would make more sense for NetEase to hold off and save the character for Season 2. More information on both Ultron and The Fantastic Four could be revealed inMarvel Rivals’Season 1’s first trailer, which will release on January 6.
Marvel Rivals
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Marvel Rivals is a Super Hero Team-Based PVP Shooter!Assemble an all-star Marvel squad, devise countless strategies by combining powers to form unique Team-Up skills and fight in destructible, ever-changing battlefields across the continually evolving Marvel universe!A Deep and Varied Marvel RosterChoose from a vast array of fan-favorite and cult-classic Marvel Super Heroes and Super Villains from across the Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, X-Men, and many more from across the Marvel Multiverse.Fast and Fun 6v6 Action with Ever-Changing Game DynamicsWith intricate environments, fast-paced gameplay, and ever-changing battlefields, there’s never a dull moment in Marvel Rivals! Battle as Super Heroes and Super Villains with incredible abilities and combine your powers to bring unexpected fun to the battlefield in a matter of seconds.Dynamic Hero SynergyCoordinate unique combinations between characters to ignite surprising Team-Up Skills! Unleash the synergy of combined superpowers and invent new tactics that can turn the tide of combat. Ride on Groot’s back as Rocket Raccoon to take on your enemies as a dangerous duo, unleash Gamma energy as Hulk to charge Iron Man’s armor for massive damage, and so much more!Creative Environment DestructionTear your way through iconic Marvel worlds across destructible environments! From Asgard to the Tokyo of 2099, use superpowers to alter these environments, reshape the terrain, and craft a strategic advantage on the battlefield! Take cover to dodge attacks or use makeshift weapons to strike down enemies. Players will find countless ways to utilize the environment to claim victory!Continually Evolving Universe and Robust Post-Launch UpdatesThe Marvel Multiverse brings infinite possibilities! Each seasonal drop will introduce new Super Heroes to the battlefield along with challenging and diverse maps! Unlock new content to implement across various gameplay strategies while experiencing thrilling action and endless possibilities in these adventurous team battles!
