NetEase Games has committed to introducing at least one new Marvel Rivals hero every half-season, yet this hasn't deterred one inventive player from realizing his vision of a playable Doctor Octopus.
Earlier this week, Reddit user WickedCube astonished the r/MarvelRivals community with a 30-second video showcasing what appears to be early gameplay footage from NetEase’s popular hero shooter. At first glance, the video captures a pre-Hulk Bruce Banner suspended midair in a testing room, but there's more to it. Marvel enthusiasts will recognize this eight-armed rendition of the gamma-infused doctor as an unrefined, Marvel Rivals-inspired take on the iconic Spider-Man villain, Doctor Octopus.
We need more vanguards, so i made one (Doctor Octopus)
byu/Wickedcube inmarvelrivals
The video, while a bit stiff and quirky, unmistakably captures the essence of Doctor Octopus. With a bit of imagination, you can envision how Doc Ock might look and move within Marvel Rivals if NetEase ever decides to bring Otto Octavius into the game. WickedCube's concept allows the character to navigate around obstacles using magnetized arms, effectively enabling flight when near stable structures—a crucial feature in a game featuring destructible environments. The concept includes named abilities like Havoc Claw for melee attacks and Wrecking Grip for ranged attacks. With 16,000 upvotes at the time of publication, this impressive, playable prototype was crafted entirely by one individual.
“Doc Ock has always been one of the coolest villains in Spider-Man, and his tentacles present a unique challenge to implement,” WickedCube shared, explaining his inspiration. “To my knowledge, playable 3D movement with tentacles hasn't been fully realized in games before.”
Driven by the recent PSN outage that prevented him from playing Marvel Rivals, WickedCube, an indie game developer from India, decided to create his own version. Having previously worked with Space Engineers studio Keen Software House before resigning in January 2024 to focus on his personal projects, he typically concentrates on mechanics prototyping rather than character development. However, the challenge of bringing Doctor Octopus to life in Unity motivated him to pursue this idea.
“It all started when PSN was down and I couldn’t play Marvel Rivals,” WickedCube explained. “While browsing Twitter, I stumbled upon some really cool Doc Ock fan art. I thought, ‘Since I can't play right now, why not make it myself?’”
Doctor Octopus in the style of Marvel Rivals
.#MarvelRivals #MarvelRivalsfanart pic.twitter.com/d3XHXMZsCL— CoryHarris.jpg (@LordDepis) January 26, 2025
The response to WickedCube's creation has been overwhelmingly positive, with thousands of players appreciating his Doc Ock concept and some even urging NetEase to include it in the game. WickedCube finds the feedback “incredibly rewarding” and would be delighted if NetEase adopted some of his ideas for an official Doctor Octopus character. Although he has no plans to further refine the design, he aims to release a playable version soon.
“Following the Reddit response, I want to share this and future concepts through a YouTube tutorial series,” WickedCube added. “I also plan to open-source the code on GitHub and make the playable versions available on Itch.”
NetEase is set to expand Marvel Rivals with two new characters, the Human Torch and The Thing, launching this Friday. These heroes follow their Fantastic Four counterparts, Mister Fantastic and the Invisible Woman, introduced last month. This rapid character rollout outpaces many competitors, but fans are eager to see more of Marvel's extensive roster of heroes and villains.
WickedCube's project was inspired by the community's desire for additional Vanguard or tank-like characters. Although there are no rumors suggesting Otto's imminent inclusion, WickedCube is already brainstorming other heroes, including Nightcrawler and Professor Xavier from the X-Men.
“The character lineup at launch is substantial enough to keep the game engaging for a long time, and the rate at which they’ve promised to release new characters is astonishing,” he noted. “The designers clearly understand how to create a fun game, which is the most challenging aspect to perfect.”
Marvel Rivals is gearing up for its Season 1 mid-season update on February 21, which will introduce the new characters, balance changes, and gameplay tweaks. While awaiting the update, you can explore recent layoffs affecting NetEase’s U.S. team in Seattle and learn why the studio isn't addressing rumors about planted hero leaks.
