Marvel Rivals is set to be one of 2024’s biggest competitive game releases and data mines have shown that it’s also set to have a massive roster.
Marvel’s modern outings have been a mixed bag for fans. Although Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 perfectly captured the web slinger’s world, other efforts like Crystal Dynamics’ Avengers missed the mark worse than Thor not going for Thanos’ head. Even so, the Marvel universe is still a perfect canvas for video games.
NetEase Games announced Marvel Rivals in March 2024 and fans immediately jumped on the hype train. After all, the game combined two very popular things; Marvel superheroes and hero shooters. Recently, a leaker claims to have found which Marvel heroes and villains will join those teams.
Marvel Rivals’ roster has been leaked from the closed alpha test
Marvel Rivals’ roster is set to include iconic heroes like Captain America and Spider-Man, fan favorites like Squirrel Girl and Peni Parker, and newcomers including Luna Snow and Lin Lie’s Iron Fist.
The lineup comes from a data mine by Miller Ross, a leaker who regularly broke DLC news on Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. There was evidence of 39 different characters in Marvel Rivals’ roster in the closed alpha.
Not all of these characters were playable in the closed alpha version of the game. Many of them were discovered by looking at hidden files.
It’s common practice in live-service multiplayer games to pre-load upcoming content into patches without giving users access to it. Data miners can decompile the game files to find things that are otherwise inaccessible. Games like Valorant add new weapon skins to the game in patches, then make them available in the in-game store weeks later.
Here is the full roster of characters set to be playable in Marvel Rivals:
- Bruce Banner/Hulk
- Punisher
- Storm
- Loki
- Human Torch
- Doctor Strange
- Mantis
- Hawkeye
- Captain America
- Rocket Raccoon
- Hela
- Cloak & Dagger
- Black Panther
- Groot
- Ultron
- Magik
- Moon Knight
- Luna Snow
- Squirrel Girl
- Black Widow
- Iron Man
- Venom
- Spider-Man
- Magneto
- Scarlet Witch
- Thor
- Mr. Fantastic
- Winter Solider
- Peni Parker
- Star-Lord
- Blade
- Namor
- Adam Warlock
- Jeff the Landshark
- Psylocke
- Wolverine
- Invisible Woman
- The Thing
- Iron Fist (Lin Lie)
The game is set to include notable characters from all facets of Marvel, and won’t be limited to Marvel Cinematic Universe offerings. Past crossover games like Marvel vs Capcom Infinite reportedly had to conform to the MCU’s standards, something that saw playable characters from previous games put on the shelf.
By comparison, Marvel Rivals’ roster includes characters who haven’t made the jump to TV or movie adaptations. It also has characters that rose to fame outside of the MCU, like Peni Parker who was featured in Sony’s Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.
It’s an impressive assortment of characters, and it’s only likely to grow. Live-service games like these regularly inject new content to keep players engaged. That means fans can expect fresh faces to come in on a steady drip once the game launches.
Marvel Rivals levels will highlight different parts of the Marvel non-Cinematic Universe
As with the roster, Marvel Rivals will have levels pulled from across Marvel media.
The current phase of the MCU is all about alternate dimensions, so Marvel Rivals has more freedom in its character selection. That diversity isn’t limited to playable characters, as there are levels that may or may not be familiar to those who only watch the movies, or only read the comics.
Here are the levels that were discovered to be in Marvel Rivals:
- Hydra Erebus Base
- The Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda
- Klyntar
- Empire of Eternal Night
- Krakoa
Marvel Rivals’ closed alpha has seen the game receive generally strong reviews, even outside the ones that were compelled by contract. The game draws clear inspiration from games like Overwatch 2 and Team Fortress 2. NetEase hopes the recognizable roster and gameplay tweaks can set Marvel Rivals apart.