NetEase Talks Marvel Rivals – Overwatch Comparisons, Hero Picks and More

With our glowing beta impressions of Marvel Rivals, we wanted to chat with NetEase about the upcoming free-to-play hero shooter to see what’s in store for the game’s future and beyond, as well as ask about some important topics as well.

Thankfully, the studio granted our request, and while not all our questions were answered, there’s still quite a fair bit of info that was shared by the NetEase Marvel Rivals team.

Marvel Rivals Interview by MP1st:

(Note: Answers by the studio are from the dev team collectively)

MP1st: First thing off, let’s get it out of the way: Marvel Rivals will forever be compared to Overwatch. How does the dev team take that?

A: We are honored to be compared with some of the best games out there in this genre and we feel we offer an experience that builds on some familiar gameplay elements and creates something unique with the opportunity to play as your favorite Marvel characters. Marvel Rivals will be faster paced and much more accessible to new players. This game features abilities-heavy gameplay and we put the hero in the hero shooter genre. We want Marvel Rivals to be best in class.

MP1st: There’s no escaping that some of the hero abilities are “inspired” from Overwatch, how does the studio decide which ones to implement and which ones to adjust from what’s available out there?

A: The development team considered many factors in designing heroes and implementing them in game. One major difference is that with Marvel we have over 9000 characters to pick from. It’s a good issue to have, but there are considerations to make about who should be part of the roster and who fits both in terms of who they are, how they fit into this world and the lore around Marvel Rivals.

MP1st: We’ve seen the devs ban quite a lot of accounts, which we assume are from PC. How will the devs handle XIM/Cronus users? And what’s the long-term plans for cheaters? Are IP bans considered?

A: We have a zero-tolerance policy towards illegal assistance tools and cheats. We not only invest significant resources to monitor and analyze battle data and suspend suspicious accounts, but we also dedicate substantial effort to robust server and client security. For example, concerning the XIM converters mentioned above, we have designed a system to identify their behavior, and it currently shows promising accuracy. We will continue to follow up on this research in the future. After the game’s launch, we will monitor in-game situations at all times, promptly identifying and addressing any detected cheats.

MP1st: What’s the cadence for new characters and new content? We know there’s a battle pass, but what will be the schedule for new characters, stages etc? Will it be one new hero per season?

A: We have not yet unveiled our plans for content post launch, as our focus is only on the launch of the title. We can confirm that we do plan to offer seasonal content, and we’ll provide more details very soon. However as we’ve mentioned before, all heroes now and in the future will be free to play!

• Related Reading: Marvel Rivals to Feature 33 Heroes, 8 Maps at Launch, Roadmap Confirms Season 1 Starts “Early January”

MP1st: Will console gamers have the option to mute players, chat in matches, etc. without needing to bind them to a specific button?

A: This feature is available right now. Simply use the option to enter the settings menu, go to the team section, and you can mute a specific player there.

MP1st: How does the dev team decide which hero is the next one to be released? Does the studio have a lineup that they are going through one by one

A: This is a process that we will carefully consider in conjunction with Marvel Games. We mentioned earlier there are 9000 characters in the Marvel universe, so there is a huge range of potential characters that could join the game. While it’s important to note that no character is off limits, we will focus on characters who are fun to look at, different, fun to play, and that bring something good to the overall roster. We’ll pick characters that are well-known, throw in some curveballs, and even offer some deep cuts!

MP1st: What are the major balancing changes that the dev team notice based on the beta? Which heroes need the most buff and nerf?

A: We’ve made adjustments to most of the roster from the initial alpha phase and through the most recent beta. We’re constantly tweaking each hero’s abilities to create the best gaming experience possible.

MP1st: Possibly the most noticeable thing that I’ve noticed when it comes to melee attacks is how it doesn’t feel “weighty,” like it doesn’t register or have that feel you’d get when someone like Thor bashes someone’s head in with a hammer. Is this something the studio might take a look at?]

A: We have a passionate and vocal Discord group and our community channels are constantly fielding feedback from the players. We are listening, and if we find a topic is getting discussed frequently it’s something we’ll review and try to address in the game. We will continue to make adjustments and updates through launch and beyond.

MP1st: Is there a chance of voice packs being available either as a reward in the Battle Pass or sold individually? I mean, I know a few people who would spend money to have the MCU voice lines in the game.

A: We do not have this plan at the moment and no specific plans for the future.

MP1st: How many servers will be there at launch, and will the studio release the locations of the servers?

A: We are currently still in the planning phase. Please stay tuned for our future announcements.

MP1st: This is NetEase’s first major AAA title that’s made primarily for hardcore gamers on PC and consoles, I think there are concerns that NetEase might drop support for the game if it doesn’t meet the monetary expectations? Can NetEase comment on this?

A: We are confident about Marvel Rivals and its potential. To find long-term success with a live service game we think there are a few important points: Give players clear goals, continuously introduce new content and updates, always listen to our player community, and nurture a world class eSports scene.

MP1st: There have been a lot of recent examples of licensed games, Marvel and otherwise, hitting the market with massive skepticism. Was this a consideration during development? What is NetEase’s secret sauce for finding success where so many others have failed?

A: We’ve had the good fortune to work alongside Marvel on other game properties so we are quite comfortable and confident of what we believe this game can deliver. Collectively, we have the talent, technology, and experience to raise the bar for a multiplayer Super Hero game.

Marvel Rivals is a very unique property with narrative content. It is not just an ordinary team competitive game, but an opportunity to tell unique Marvel stories through each season. The overall product affinity is much stronger than those competing products without narrative. Our hero ability design is closely related to the IP itself, which is itself a derivative of the Marvel Universe, not just a competitive shooting game.

Marvel Rivals emphasizes the unique abilities of Super Heroes and presents them in the game in the form of Team-Up skills. We have heroes who emphasize the shooting experience and heroes with different operating experiences, such as action-oriented melee heroes and flight heroes. Each character gives the player a different integrated experience based on their unique history and powers.

MP1st: Will the game feature console-only crossplay? What about cross-progression?

A: Both casual mode and custom rooms will feature  crossplay capability. Competitive mode does not support crossplay and players can only be matched with others using the same device to ensure fair competition. For the topic of Cross Progression, we are exploring options for this but currently there is no timetable for its implementation.

MP1st: In terms of microtransactions, we are already expecting cosmetics and hero skins to be up for sale, is that a fair assumption? Will we see new heroes XP-locked or locked behind the Battle Pass?

A: All our heroes will be available for free after launch, with no payment or extra gameplay time required to unlock them. Our pass will not contain any pay-to-win content. It will mainly include cosmetic items such as character skins, sprays, and name cards, which do not affect the core gameplay experience. Our free pass allows players to earn tokens, so even if regular players do not spend any money, they can still accumulate tokens to purchase the premium pass and earn all the rewards within it.

MP1st: How is the dev team figuring out how to balance between giving players a proper progression balance in terms of free stuff to earn/unlock and those tucked away behind the Battle Pass’ premium track?

A: Same as above

MP1st: You guys teased Moon Knight at the end of the gamescom trailer, will these be the next characters that will be released? Say we get another tease, that means that’s the next character being released?

A: If anything, expect the unexpected when it comes to unveiling new heroes! We’ll have more to share across the board soon.

MP1st: How much freedom does NetEase have to change the hero’s appearance etc? Based on our understanding, Marvel has been quite strict in what developers can and cannot do to their characters (ie: Marvel’s Spider-Man 2).

A : Working with the Marvel Games team is an extraordinary experience. They are incredibly talented and have created characters loved by readers around the world, along with so many compelling stories. They often come up with exciting ideas in game development, and everyone in the team is amazed when we apply those ideas to our games. Working closely with them, we have left many Marvel Easter eggs in the game, waiting to be discovered by the players. Of course, there are challenging and stressful moments during the collaboration as well, but in the end, it all worked out perfectly, resulting in a unique, fun and interesting Marvel game. It was a rewarding and cherished experience.

MP1st: With NetEase being such a huge player in the gaming mobile sector, are there any plans to create Marvel Rivals for mobile?

A: Our focus and attention right now is 100% on making Marvel Rivals an amazing experience on PC, Xbox, and PlayStation.

MP1st: With AI being used more and more in games, are the devs using AI in Marvel Rivals? And if so, in what capacity? If not, are there plans to do it in the future?

A: We are not using AI in any of our development.

MP1st: With the success of Stellar Blade, Lies of P, Delta Force and of course, Black Myth Wukong, and the like, it seems that more and more Asian studios (outside of Japan) are seeing success and are coming out of the shadows, why do you think that’s happening now? Is it easier and/or cheaper to make console games now than before? What does NetEase think of this shift from transitioning from mobiles to AAA console/PC offering

A: We are witnessing significant changes in China game development, with larger scale and globally significant projects coming to the forefront. At NetEase Games, we are continuing to evolve and build our expertise across all platforms, working hard to cater to more of a global audience. A game like Marvel Rivals exemplifies this. Large scale development, a beloved brand partner like Marvel, and a popular genre. We are excited at the prospect of bringing a title like this and others to a wider audience of gamers.

Marvel Rivals launches this December 6 on PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC as a free-to-play game.

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