Marvel Rivals follows its 2025 warm-up with bigger plans set for 2026. Read on to learn more about what NetEase has in store for the game and what fans can expect for year two.
Marvel Rivals Has Bigger Plans Set For 2026
2025 Was A "Warm-Up"
Marvel Rivals had a very successful first debut year, but developer NetEase promises more to come for 2026. During the Game Awards 2025, Den of Geek spoke with developers from Marvel Games and NetEase about what the game has in store for fans in its future.
Marvel Games Executive Producer Danny Koo at year one, highlighted how core system updates kept players engaged long after the initial release. Despite amassing a huge following for the hit hero shooter, the developers remain dedicated to improving the experience and adding more content.
"2025 was more of a warm-up period for us. Next year, we’re going to have bigger plans. We’re not going to slow down. We’ve already planned more than a year ahead and I can’t wait for our players to see it," Koo stated.
Marvel Rivals launched in December 2024, debuting 33 playable characters that grew to 45 after five seasons. Notable character additions include all members of the Fantastic Four, Blade, Gambit, Rogue, and Jean Grey (Phoenix).
Aside from its expanding hero roster, Marvel Rivals utilized its first year to experiment with gameplay formats that broke away from the traditional 6v6 structure. These new modes include the narrative-driven Marvel Zombies, a cooperative PvE experience that pits players against relentless hordes of the undead, and the 18v18 Annihilation mode, doubling the standard team size, creating a chaotic 36-player battlefield.
Furthermore, the developers also introduced whimsical arcade variations of the standard modes, such as Giant-Size Brain Blast, which featured inflated character heads and modified physics, and Clone Rumble, stripping hero-pick restrictions to allow duplicate characters on the same team.
All of these additions and changes were recognized as Marvel Rivals was nominated for Best Ongoing Game at The Game Awards 2025. More recently, it won the Grand Award at the PlayStation Partner Awards for having one of the highest worldwide sales on Sony’s consoles.
More Game Modes To Come
The introduction of new game modes to the game was a massive hit to the community. As such, NetEase Games Publishing and Marketing Lead Yachen Bian said that they plan to add more quirky experiences that go beyond their typical format.
"In the next year, we want to provide more game modes," she said. "It’s why we have prototypes in the game, like PvE and 18v18. We want to give the players more choices of different game modes beyond the basic gameplay because your fundamental experience might be very different. When you’re fighting against zombies, it’s quite different from fighting against other people."
Although the developers have yet to disclose any information about upcoming modes, fans can expect more unique ways to play the game outside of the standard 6v6. This will open up more opportunities for different types of players to try out and explore Marvel Rivals at their preferred game mode.
Making The Biggest Game Possible
With the ever-growing popularity of the game, the development team is constantly determined to push it further into realms it has never reached before. Trying to meet the expectations of over 40 million players is a challenging task, and one that the developers are willing to take on.
Koo explained, "That process has brought the team together even closer. It’s a lot of hard work and it always feels different and exciting. This game is releasing new content every week. Even my own team comes in every day asking what’s new today. Everyone’s excited. They want to continue to make this happen. Everyone wants to make this the biggest game possible."
NetEase is building on the massive success of Marvel Rivals as it enters year two with a growing roster of iconic characters. Season 6 starts 2026 with the "Night at the Museum" update, introducing Deadpool and Elsa Bloodstone to lead a new chapter for the game.
Marvel Rivals is available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. To stay up to date with the latest information about Marvel Rivals, check out our article below!
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"2025 Was a Warm-Up" Marvel Rivals Creators on Leveling Up the Game
