Marvel Rivals: How the Next Characters are Picked by the Devs

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Marvel Rivals enthusiasts are aware that Johnny Storm and Ben Grimm will be joining the game imminently, but there’s a roster of potential newcomers whose arrival dates remain uncertain at this point in time.

Contrary to popular speculation that the Fantastic Four might be added to the game this year due to the upcoming movie, developers at NetEase have clarified their method for selecting future characters in the game, and it doesn’t involve responding to leaks or data mining activities.

No Trolling Here

There’s been talk that the developers of Marvel Rivals secretly inserted false character names into the game files as a tactic to confuse data miners. However, in an interview with IGN, producer Danny Koo clarified, “No, we prefer to focus our efforts on creating the genuine game itself.

As it transpires, what some data miners have uncovered as ‘fake leaks’ were actually remnants from tests conducted by the developers. Producer Weicong Wu likens this discovery to opening an unused notebook filled with preliminary sketches, stating, “Our team explored numerous play styles and characters, leaving behind a notebook of rough drafts. It’s as if someone left their sketchbook out, and another person [a dataminer] decided to look through it without any context.

So, How Does it Work?

As a gamer, I often ponder when developers are brainstorming about new characters they’ll add. They start by asking themselves, “What kind of character and abilities would bring harmony to the game while also introducing some fresh flavors to our roster?

From that point, the process goes:

  • Come up with a list of possible characters
  • Take suggestions from Marvel Games on who they could bring in
  • Work on initial designs for said characters
  • Look out for any incoming Marvel content like movies and comics and gauge how interested the audience is
  • Finally, decide which characters to add

As per Wu’s perspective, the strategy for developing heroes involves creating new characters rather than frequently modifying existing ones. These new characters can help balance out any current imbalances, such as countering an overpowered hero or forming a powerful team with previously underperforming strategists.

It’s clear that the strategy appears to be behind the speculation about numerous characters joining Marvel Rivals in its initial year. Nevertheless, this approach might lead to inconsistent balancing among heroes in the long run, an issue frequently criticized in Rivals compared to Overwatch, which takes delight in adjusting character kits when necessary to maintain balance within the entire roster.

Some Overwatch characters have undergone significant changes in their gameplay since they were first introduced in 2016. It remains to be seen if Marvel Rivals will follow a similar path, but for now, it appears that NetEase is determined to distinguish itself from Overwatch by creating unique experiences.

In the upcoming release for Marvel Rivals, you’ll find characters Human Torch and The Thing joining the fray, set to arrive on February 21st. Currently, Marvel Rivals can be enjoyed on Xbox Series X|S, PC, and PlayStation 5 platforms.

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2025-02-18 13:12