The first season of Marvel Rivals has officially launched, introducing Mister Fantastic and Invisible Woman to the already diverse roster. With the Human Torch and The Thing set to arrive in late February, fans are eager to know what other heroes await. Leaks have hinted at characters like Cyclops, Professor X, Jean Grey, and Blade, and now, Marvel Rivals director Guangyun Chen has provided insight into the game’s character release schedule.
From the initial reveal trailer to the launch featuring heroes like Squirrel Girl, Iron Fist, Black Widow, Cloak & Dagger, and Wolverine, anticipation has been high. Season One kicked off with a double character release, a trend that seems to be continuing. NetEase Games appears committed to maintaining this momentum with a consistent influx of new heroes.
A New Hero Every Half-Season
Marvel Rivals aims to release a new character approximately every 45 days.
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In an interview with Metro UK, Chen discussed the planned three-month seasons and the rollout of new content. He stated: “Every season we’ll be rolling out fresh seasonal stories, new maps, and new heroes. We’ll actually be breaking down each season into two halves. The length of one season is three months. And for each half of the season, we will introduce a new hero. We just eventually want to continue to enhance the experience, and keep everyone excited in our community.”
An Ambitious Release Schedule
This translates to a new character release approximately every 45 days, totaling eight new heroes annually. This already surpasses Overwatch 2‘s schedule of one new hero every other season. Considering the four characters arriving in Season One, 2025 could see ten new heroes added, potentially bringing the roster to 43 by year’s end.
NetEase’s Commitment to Community Engagement
NetEase has demonstrated a commitment to community feedback, addressing player concerns and continuously working on improving Marvel Rivals. Chen’s emphasis on keeping the community excited reinforces their dedication to providing a steady stream of new content.
Chen also elaborated on seasonal updates, mentioning: “Looking ahead as we move on to seasonal updates, we’ll be introducing new heroes and will also be refreshing the team-ups every season. That includes adding new team-ups, as well as breaking down and reshaping the existing ones to keep the experience dynamic and engaging for everyone.”
Growing Player Base
The Marvel Rivals team’s dedication has resonated with fans, evident in the game’s sustained popularity. According to SteamDB, Marvel Rivals boasts a growing player base, with approximately 500,000 players engaging with the new season, exceeding launch numbers.