Marvel Rivals’ Season 1 has, mostly, gone off without a hitch. Season 1 is onlyMarvel Rivals’ second season, as it was only preceded by Season 0, and it is, therefore, not yet possible to determine exactly how the game will approach new content in future seasons. However, considering how well-received Season 1 has been by players, it’s quite possible thatMarvel Rivalswill maintain the season’s approach to character addition.
Season 0 ofMarvel Rivalsfocused on establishing the first-person shooter, and this short season certainly saw its fair share of updates, with new skins hittingMarvel Rivalsthroughout the season. But Season 0 saw no character additions besides those released at launch.
Why Marvel Rivals' Season 1 Approach Worked
Kicked off at the beginning of January, Season 1 introduced Mr. Fantastic and Invisible Woman to theMarvel Rivalscharacter roster, along with a new battle pass and map. The remaining half of the Fantastic Four,the Thing and the Human Torch, and another map dropped on February 21 in what has been dubbed Season 1.5. All four members of the Fantastic Four have also received two comic book-based skins. This approach to character additions could benefitMarvel Rivals' character roster down the line. After all, many characters from Marvel Comics are a part of the company’s many iconic superhero teams. Not every single superhero team has an even number of members, but taking two moments during the season to drop characters could make a long season feel jam-packed with content.
Additionally, picking a superhero team for a season automatically gives the season a theme. As mentioned, not only didthe Fantastic Four joinMarvel Rivalsin Season 1, two new maps also hit the game. These maps were themed to the overarching plot of Season 1, with the first map, Midtown, establishing the Fantastic Four’s Baxter Building, the Fantasticar, and H.E.R.B.I.E. The second half then introduced Dracula’s castle in the Central Park map, with Dracula already having been established as the villain of the season via the Season 1 trailer and promotional material that was released throughout the first half of the season.
Season 1’s story was further establishedby comic pages players could earn through various events during the season. These comics can be read in the Gallery. The comic pages are undeniably a resource thatMarvel Rivalscan use to its advantage when choosing which superteam to add to the game next. After all, plenty of characters on the game’s current roster are part of superhero teams that have yet to be completed inMarvel Rivals.
These Superhero Teams Should Join Marvel Rivals Next
The most highly anticipated superteam tojoinMarvel Rivalsis the X-Men. Several key members of the X-Men, and characters associated with the mutant team, are already onMarvel Rivals’ roster, including Wolverine, Storm, Magik, Psylocke, and Magneto. X-Men have also been the most leaked characters thus far. Season 2 has been speculated to revolve around the mutant island of Krakoa and themed to the Hellfire Gala.Marvel Rivalshas already established both Krakoa and the Hellfire Gala through voice lines and a costume for the Scarlet Witch.
More than four X-Men have been leaked thus far, withEmma Frost speculated to joinMarvel Rivalsin the first half of Season 2. Other members of the team that will allegedly join the shooter include Jean Grey (Phoenix), Cyclops, Jubilee, Nightcrawler, Rogue, Colossus, and, of course, Professor X. With other members of the X-Men in the game, it seems likely thatMarvel Rivalscould use the same approach it took with the Fantastic Four and add more X-Men over the course of Season 2.
The possibilities for superteams that would suit this kind of debut are endless. Ultimately, the hardest challenge forMarvel Rivalsis deciding which characters will introduce these teams to the game. Perhaps other supergroups, like the X-Force, the Runaways, the Inhumans, the Defenders, andthe Young Avengers, will receive the same warm welcome inMarvel Rivalsas the Fantastic Four.
