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 characters and has already amassed a remarkable 20 million players in its first month. The game's success is fueling an aggressive content release plan.

The game's director, Guangyun Chen, revealed in a recent interview with Metro that the development team aims to introduce a new hero approximately every 45 days. This ambitious strategy 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.

While the Marvel universe offers a vast roster of characters, including lesser-known heroes like Jeff the Shark and Squirrel Girl, the feasibility of this rapid release schedule is being questioned by many. The concern centers on the intensive playtesting and balancing required for each new hero, considering the existing 33 heroes and their numerous abilities. Maintaining this pace necessitates either a substantial bank of pre-developed heroes or an incredibly efficient development pipeline.

Season 1 is currently underway, having already introduced Mister Fantastic and Invisible Woman. The Thing and Human Torch are slated to arrive later in the season, along with the possibility of new maps or in-game events. Whether NetEase can sustain this ambitious release cadence remains to be seen, but the game's early success suggests a strong foundation for continued growth. Fans should keep a close watch on Marvel Rivals' social media channels for upcoming announcements.