During this week's Marvel Rivals Assemble, a special live event celebrate NetEase's critically acclaimed super hero team-based PvP shooter, the developer laid out the roadmap for in-game events coming in 2026. This year will be jam-packed with new content, collaborations, and more all inspired by the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And it's all designed to build up to what is undoubtedly the biggest release of the year, Marvel Studios' Avengers: Doomsday.
The "Path to Doomsday" begins in April with new content inspired by Marvel's Avengers. It will continue throughout the year with June focused on Age of Ultron, August on Infinity Saga, and October on Endgame. In December, to elebrate the release of Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Doomsday, Marvel Rivals will unveil exciting new game modes and events.
We don't yet know exactly what this content will exist of, but we can expect 2026 to pack new heroes, maps, costumes, game modes, PvE experiences, game systems, and more.
Released in 2024, Marvel Rivals is a free-to-play team-based PvP shooter in the Marvel Universe. Drawing comparisons to Blizzard's Overwatch, the game pits two teams of Marvel heroes and villains against each other in various types of game modes. The game blends elements from Marvel's robust catalogue of movies and comics to create its own overarching storyline with cosmetics pulled from all corners of Marvel history.
The special fan event was capped by a 15-minute video celebrating just how far the game has come since its release two years ago. As it currently stands, Marvel Rivals now features a roster of 47 playable super heroes, 418 total costumes, 20 maps, and 11 extra game modes.
Additionally, players will be able to experierience a new limited-time special game mode starring Loki.
In this asymmetric fight mode, one player plays as Loki, facing off against six other players who play as different heroes. Loki is equipped with an all-new skill set, combining deception, illusions, and powerful Infinity Stone abilities to turn enemies against each other, similar to events in Marvel Studios’ The Avengers. He can manipulate enemy heroes in battle using mind control and summon versions of the six heroes he commands to join the battlefield to defeat the players. Other heroes can also summon Hulk under certain conditions, recreating iconic scenes from the film!
Players can also look forward to the start of Season 7, which is scheduled to launch on March 20, 2026. NetEase teased, "In the upcoming Season 7, a thief and an agent are teaming up in New York for an impossible mission, so players who aren't so lucky should watch their wallets closely!"
Overall, it's looking like a big year for Marvel Rivals, especially with all the content being planned around the release if Avengers: Doomsday.