NetEase Games has officially revealed Hawkeye as a playable character in its upcoming team-based Hero shooter Marvel Rivals. The developer had accidentally leaked the character through the game's website earlier this week, but today they officially welcomed him to the game with a proper character reveal trailer.
Hawkeye, the Unmatched Sharpshooter, is a master marksman with unparalleled precision. The reveal trailer briefly showcases his gameplay, which revolves around his trusty bow and arrows. Hawkeye has an assortment of shots at his disposal, from his charging Piercing Arrow to his explosive blast arrow.
"Clint Barton is one of the greatest marksmen alive," NetEase says of the Marvel hero. "He may not have superpowers, but his natural ability to hit virtually any target earned him a place alongside Earth’s mightiest heroes. As Hawkeye, he's been known to take down an entire enemy fleet with nothing more than a quiver full of arrows. Hawkeye's unparalleled skills as a marksman have earned him a spot alongside earth's mightiest heroes."
NetEase also revealed a new map for Wakanda, Birnin T'Challa, as well as new Imperial Protocol costumes, part one of a behind the scenes look at the game's development, and launch details.
"As a futuristic, interstellar city of the Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda, the highly developed Birnin T'challa has a unique urban landscape featuring high density vibranium skyscrapers combined with traditional African tribal architectural styles, presenting the bold, distinctive imagination of Afrofuturism," reads the map description. "The totemism and religious beliefs of old never left Wakanda—statues of Bast, the Black Panther goddess, can be seen all throughout the city in a variety of forms, ranging from vibranium statues to holographic projections."
Earlier this week, NetEase revealed new launch details alongside the Season 0 roadmap. Coinciding with the release of Marvel Rivals on December 6th will be the launch of Season 0, Dooms' Rise. Over the course of the month-long kick-off season, Marvel Rivals will see a total of 33 heroes introduced. Hawkeye is the 28th hero to be revealed, meaning there are still five more to go. As previously confirmed, all heroes will be available to play for free.
Each season will have its own unique Seasonal Pass, but because Season 0 is only a month-long, the pass will only have half the content of a full Seasonal Battle Pass and will be priced accordingly. Season Battle Passes will include various cosmetics, including character costumes inspired by classic comics, MC designs, and more.
Launching in conjunction with Season 0 will be the "Imperial Protocol" series of costumes. These costumes are designed around the concept of "Afrofuturism", which combines the ancient tribal elements of Africa with futuristic, intergalactic technology. NetEase explains:
In the story of Season 0, Black Panther has become the monarch of the Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda, and has a kingly outfit - "Imperial Protocol: Galactic Claw" - to match his status. Over the course of the story, he welcomes different heroes to his empire, such as Captain America and Mantis. Captain America will possess the "Imperial Protocol: Galactic Talon" armor and Mantis will have her own battle suit: "Imperial Protocol: Galactic Wings", both of which combine their respective aesthetics with futuristic tech. The newly announced Hawkeye will be the fourth in this story set to receive an “Imperial Protocol” costume and will be revealed soon.
Marvel Rivals is a super hero team-based PvP shooter that features an ever-evolving roster of Super Heroes and Super Villains from across the Marvel Multiverse. The game will launch on December 6th with all heroes unlocked and free to play at launch and beyond.