Marvel Rivals Reveals How Often Fans Can Expect New Heroes

Marvel Rivals: An Ambitious Hero Release Schedule

Marvel Rivals, NetEase's hit third-person hero shooter, launched in December 2024 with 33 playable heroes and has already amassed 20 million players in its first month. The game's success is fueling an aggressive content release plan: a new hero approximately every 45 days.

This ambitious schedule, outlined by Game Director Guangyun Chen in an interview with Metro, translates to eight new heroes annually—more than double the yearly hero additions in competitor Overwatch 2. Each three-month season will feature two new heroes, with the Fantastic Four serving as the initial post-launch additions. Mister Fantastic and Invisible Woman are already available, with The Thing and Human Torch slated for the latter half of Season 1. Season 1 also includes two new New York City maps.

The rapid release cadence raises concerns among fans. The extensive playtesting and balancing required for each new hero, considering the existing roster of 33 heroes and their numerous abilities, poses a significant challenge. The potential for a shortage of innovative abilities also looms. Unless NetEase has a substantial reserve of pre-developed heroes, maintaining this pace seems daunting.

Despite these concerns, the game's vast Marvel character pool offers ample possibilities, including less mainstream characters like Jeff the Shark and Squirrel Girl. Players can anticipate the arrival of the remaining Fantastic Four members as Season 1 progresses, with the possibility of additional maps or in-game events in the second half. Fans are encouraged to follow Marvel Rivals' social media for updates.