We talked to Marvel Games' executive producer Danny Koo about Marvel Rivals’ upcoming zombie PvE mode.
A Zombies mode for Marvel Rivals is real, and it’s coming to the game very soon. During Gamescom Asia x Thailand Game Show, NetEase Games revealed that Marvel Rivals would be getting its very first PvE game mode next week. Not only that, but the PvE mode is a crossover with Marvel Studios’ recently-released animated series Marvel Zombies.
During Thailand Game Show, we caught up with Marvel Games’ executive producer Danny Koo to dive into more details for the big new mode.
Why does Marvel Zombies have such a limited playable roster?
When NetEase first announced Marvel Rivals’ upcoming Zombies mode, one thing stuck out to players: the mode’s limited playable roster. Out of the 43 currently-available playable characters, only five are available in Marvel Zombies. Why is that?
Koo explained to us: “This limited-time PvE mode is Marvel Rivals’ first foray into PvE. We’ll keep the scope small on purpose, to see players’ feedback on what [this type of mode] could be in the future.”
The mode’s five playable characters are Thor, Blade, Jeff the Land Shark, Magik, and the Punisher. When asked why these five characters were singled out specifically, Koo said:
“We select the five that are most appropriate for the time being, like Thor. He's featured in the animation as well, so he's a natural choice. Blade is Moon Knight in the animation, so Blade will make an appearance as well.”
After that, Jeff and Magik were seemingly picked for novelty’s sake:
“[For] Jeff the Land Shark, it’s like, what if you pit sharks against zombies? It would be pretty funny, and everybody loves Jeff, so we have to put Jeff in. Magik–it's kind of like she's a demon herself, with her Darkchylde side. So what happens if you pit demons against zombies? What will happen?”
As for the Punisher, his inclusion was pretty straightforward: the mode needed someone with guns.
“The Punisher is like your everyday soldier. He's the only guy with guns, right? So we have to put him in. So there you have the first five and you go through waves of zombies, and you upgrade your skills, your stats, you will challenge the zombie Namor as a boss, and then the Queen of the Dead as a final boss.”
Judging by the trailer, the aforementioned Queen of the Dead appears to be Scarlet Witch.
How did this Marvel Zombies x Marvel Rivals crossover come about?
Marvel Rivals is no stranger to crossovers with the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The game has featured cosmetics from Marvel Studios’ Fantastic Four, Deadpool and Wolverine, Thunderbolts, and Loki–just to name a few. Now, the game is pairing up with Marvel Studios Animation for a more gameplay-heavy crossover with the Marvel Zombies mode.
When we asked Koo how this crossover came about, the executive producer revealed that it was rather simple:
“At the office, we talk a lot. We sit next to Marvel [Studios Animation], and we're like, ‘Oh, what's your upcoming show? Is there some collaboration that we can do together?’ And they showed us the Marvel Zombies animation. It was a natural fit. The dev team saw it. They're like, ‘Can we just make a PVE mode out of this?’ Like, great idea, let's do it.”
Koo also confirmed that the Marvel Zombies animation team helped out with the creation of the new Marvel Rivals mode, even if it was only by sharing assets. “We got assets from the animation team to make sure that we represent certain characters authentically, and the rest is history."
Can Marvel Rivals expect more PvE content in the future?
Marvel Rivals’ introduction of a brand-new PvE mode feels like a first step towards something much bigger, especially considering that the game is continuing to unravel its overarching Doctor Doom-led storyline via seasonal updates. We asked Koo if players can expect more PvE content in the game to come, to which he replied:
“Sure, even though this is the first one, we'll explore [making more PvE content] based on players' feedback, depending on what they’d like to see. We already have a lot of feedback, even though we haven't even launched yet. You know, players want to see X-Men versus the Sentinels, right? Or an Ultron takeover, where you fight Ultron bots. It’s limitless.”
Ultimately, however, it all depends on how players receive the Marvel Zombies mode. “We're going to take this opportunity to look at what we have done, and then make it bigger and better. If Zombies is a success, we'll bring it back next year as well. But PvE is not just limited to a Zombies mode, yeah.”
There you have it: Marvel Zombies is already locked in for a return in 2026–pending player feedback, of course.
What can players expect to earn in the new Marvel Zombies mode?
With the introduction of a big new PvE mode, players can also expect new cosmetic rewards for trying it out–much like any of the game’s other major modes. We asked Koo what players might be able to earn in Marvel Zombies, and he reiterated that the mode will be accompanied by another mini battle pass:
“There will definitely be our mini version of the battle pass to supplement the experience, as well. There is free stuff. There is paid stuff. You know, we always give the players a choice.”
As for what players can expect in Season 5? Koo remained sly, saying “You’ll have to wait, because we're very close. Just right after Halloween, we'll dive into the next season. Well, let's wrap up Zombies first!”
Marvel Rivals’ PvE mode Marvel Zombies launches on 23 October, 2025. We also had the opportunity to interview the franchise director of Dying Light at Thailand Game Show. You can read that interview here.
