NetEase Games is overhauling its Marvel Rivals post-launch schedule, shortening seasons to deliver at least one new hero each month as it works to sustain player engagement in the live service.
The significant adjustment to the content release calendar was previewed in the new Marvel Rivals Season 2 Dev Vision Vol. 5 video. The 15-minute presentation outlined how Season 2 will debut its new Vanguard, Emma Frost, on April 11, with Ultron following mid-season—his class to be announced closer to release. Both characters are set to challenge players with fresh abilities, though the most impactful changes to hero gameplay will arrive in Season 3.
In Marvel Rivals Season 3, which does not yet have a release date, NetEase will reduce season durations from three months to two. This accelerates major content updates without altering the original commitment to introduce at least one new hero per half-season. So while players will wait roughly six weeks to play as Ultron after Emma Frost’s arrival next week, that gap will shorten significantly for subsequent heroes.
"Since Season 1 launched, we’ve been carefully considering how Marvel Rivals can consistently deliver fun and engaging experiences for our players," explained Creative Director Guangyun Chen in the Dev Vision video. "Community discussions on social media have certainly pushed us to maintain the game’s excitement since December. To some extent, we agree with that sentiment."
Chen continued, "To keep audience excitement at launch levels, the real Marvel Rivals journey is only just starting."
He elaborated that NetEase aims for Marvel Rivals "to fulfill everyone's Marvel Super Hero fantasies," which involves experimenting with new modes and expanding the roster with diverse characters. After what he described as "extensive internal discussions and thorough evaluations," NetEase will adapt its systems to handle the faster content flow. Further details on how this affects players will be shared before Season 3 begins.
"With our goal of sustaining audience excitement as strong as during our launch period, the true adventure with Marvel Rivals is only getting started," Chen added.
NetEase revealed Marvel Rivals Season 2 just hours ago, confirming it will replace the vampire-themed content with a new Hellfire Gala narrative arc. This brings elegant new outfits, maps, and characters, with additional details expected in the weeks ahead.
Marvel Rivals became an instant phenomenon at its December launch, attracting 10 million players within three days. NetEase’s free-to-play superhero team-based PvP shooter released on December 6 for PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. Its Steam debut was especially impressive, reaching 480,990 concurrent players. Season 1 in January then drew a remarkable 644,269 concurrent players, ranking Marvel Rivals as the 15th most-played game in Steam’s history.
However, concurrent player numbers have gradually declined since then, likely prompting NetEase’s aggressive roadmap revision. Despite this, Marvel Rivals remains highly popular and continues to rank among Steam’s top-played titles. Season 2’s arrival should provide a fresh boost, with Season 3 expected to do the same.
For more Marvel Rivals coverage, check out the patch notes for update version 20250327 and Disney’s reasoning for abandoning a Marvel Gaming Universe concept.
