Marvel Rivals already has plenty of icons to spare, but NetEase might just be sketching up a legend of its own.
Marvel Rivals might not be sticking to familiar faces forever. During the Marvel Rivals Ignite tournament in Guangzhou, game director Guangyun “Guangguang” Chen confirmed in an interview with MP1st that NetEase has been given approval to create original characters for the hero shooter.
“Yes, we are allowed to introduce original characters in Marvel Rivals,” Guangguang said when asked about the possibility of new heroes appearing down the line. Pressed on whether anything is already in development, he wouldn’t give specifics, only teasing fans to “stay tuned.”
With great IP comes great opportunity
Marvel Rivals already has an enormous pool to draw from thanks to Disney’s huge library of Marvel characters across comics, films, and TV. There are still countless big names yet to appear, not to mention obscure cult favourites that could easily find a home in the game. Even so, letting NetEase sketch up something brand-new opens the door for characters who have been designed from the ground up with gameplay in mind.
It also wouldn’t be the first time Marvel has gone down this route. Luna Snow was created by Netmarble for Marvel Future Fight, and later found herself starring in Marvel’s official comics. And if Marvel Rivals could turn Jeff the Land Shark into one of its most beloved oddballs, it’s not hard to imagine NetEase creating someone who could make the leap from game to page as well.
Fans are already split on the idea. A now-closed Reddit thread had one fan, BV-RE2PECT, complaining about the potential delay of the appearance of plenty other Marvel characters. But Spodermanphil counters: “Y’all are acting like they’re going to be making exclusively new characters from now on.”
Beyond that back-and-forth, players have started debating which heavy hitters from Marvel’s roster they’d most like to see arrive next, showing just how many options NetEase still has to play with.
NetEase also touched on leak prevention during the same interview with MP1st, saying steps are being taken but keeping the details under wraps. For now, fans are left wondering whether the next arrival in Marvel Rivals will be a classic hero, an original face, or both.
What's next in the near future: Klyntar: Throne of Knull map revealed
Alongside all the talk of new heroes, NetEase dropped something concrete this week: the Klyntar: Throne of Knull map. Revealed on social media just hours ago, the battleground leans hard into symbiote lore, with twisting corridors and shadow-soaked halls built for chaotic clashes.
The map launches on 21 August for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam.
