New information discovered in the files for Marvel Rivals suggests that the popular Marvel hero shooter may soon be planning to add loot boxes to the game. The Marvel shooter took the gaming world by storm following its high-profile release late last year, becoming one of the hottest shooters in the gaming community with millions of players. Marvel Rivals reportedly boasted 10 million players within just a few days of its launch, with fans quickly flocking to the game across multiple devices. Now, a major new type of monetization may soon be coming to Rivals.
Marvel Rivals‘ success has been owed in part to NetEase’s support for the game since its release and the frequent new content updates. Marvel Rivals currently boasts 41 different characters for players to choose from, with another two characters set to join the playable roster following the release of Season 4. Rivals‘ most recent Season 3 added a pair of popular Marvel characters to the game during the summer, with X-Men‘s Phoenix and beloved hero Blade joining the cast. A new update is now hinting at the addition of loot boxes to Marvel Rivals.
A new post shared by popular Marvel Rivals account RivalsInfo suggests that NetEase Games is planning to add loot boxes to Marvel Rivals. According to the post, Season 4’s files feature references to “Mysteries” as a player component, confirmed to be the in-development codename for loot boxes in Marvel Rivals. The datamine also features further references to an older loot box system in Rivals, including the “cosmic mysteries number” among others. The post did not share any details about a potential release date for Marvel Rivals‘ loot boxes beyond being featured in Season 4‘s files.
Marvel Rivals May Be Adding Loot Boxes
The addition of loot boxes to Marvel Rivals will likely be a controversial change for many fans of the Marvel shooter. Loot boxes have often been a hot-button issue among both gamers and parents, with many viewing loot boxes as nothing more than an alternative form of gambling. The prominence of loot boxes within online games has even seen several national governments taking legal action against game developers, with countries like Australia requiring games featuring loot boxes to be given an M rating.
The rumored Marvel Rivals loot boxes come as NetEase has revealed plenty on the way for the game’s fourth competitive season. Season 4 will introduce two new Heroes for player to acquire in Marvel Rivals, with Angela launching alongside Season 4 on September 12 and Daredevil debuting with the season’s second half in October 2025. Season 4 will also add several new game types to Marvel Rivals‘ Arcade mode, debuting challenges like “Conquest (Annihilation)” and “Free Fight.” Marvel Rivals‘ new season looks to have lots of exciting content coming alongside the potential introduction of loot boxes.
Marvel Rivals
9/10
- Released
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December 6, 2024
- ESRB
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T For Teen // Violence
- Developer(s)
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NetEase Games
- Publisher(s)
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NetEase Games
- Engine
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Unreal Engine 5
