Marvel Rivals Dev Faces Social Media Pressure, Plans Major Season 3 Overhaul

NetEase Games is making significant adjustments to the Marvel Rivals post-launch roadmap, aiming to shorten its seasons and introduce at least one new hero every month. This change is part of their strategy to keep the live service momentum strong among players.

These updates were highlighted in the new Marvel Rivals Season 2 Dev Vision Vol. 5 video. The video, lasting 15 minutes, provided insights into Season 2, which will launch on April 11 with the new Vanguard, Emma Frost. Mid-season, Ultron will join the fray, though his class remains undisclosed for now. Both characters are set to bring fresh abilities to the game, but the most impactful changes to gameplay dynamics will occur starting with Season 3.

In Marvel Rivals Season 3, which does not yet have a release date, NetEase plans to reduce the duration of seasons from three months to two. This shift will allow for more frequent major content updates without altering their commitment to introducing at least one new hero every half-season. This means the wait time for new heroes will be considerably shorter, enhancing the game's pace and excitement.

Marvel Rivals creative director Guangyun Chen shared in the Dev Vision video that since the launch of Season 1, the team has been focused on maintaining a fun and engaging experience for players. He acknowledged the pressure from social media discussions to keep the game as thrilling as it was at launch. "With our goal of keeping the audience’s excitement alive just like our opening months, the real adventure with Marvel Rivals is just beginning," Chen stated. He emphasized NetEase's aim to fulfill players' fantasies about Marvel Super Heroes by introducing new modes and a diverse roster of characters. After extensive internal discussions, NetEase will adjust its systems to handle the increased content flow, with more details to be shared before Season 3 launches.

Just hours ago, NetEase pulled back the curtain on 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 further details to be revealed in the coming weeks.

Since its launch in December, Marvel Rivals has been a massive success, amassing 10 million players in just three days. The game, available on PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and S, saw an impressive 480,990 concurrent players on Steam at launch. Season 1 in January further boosted the numbers, reaching 644,269 concurrent players, positioning Marvel Rivals as the 15th most-played game on Valve's platform.

Despite a recent decline in concurrent players, Marvel Rivals remains highly popular and ranks among Steam's top-played games. The upcoming Season 2 and the planned changes for Season 3 are expected to reinvigorate player engagement.

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