We are less than 24 hours away from the launch of Marvel Rivals, the Marvel superhero answer to hero shooters like Overwatch, and we couldn’t be more excited. To help you get ready for the full release of NetEase-developed Marvel Rivals, we’re compiling all you need to know to prepare for launch week, including release times, pre-load details, Twitch drops, day one content and more!
When Can I Pre-Load Marvel Rivals?
There’s a minimum of 70GB storage space needed for Marvel Rivals confirmed for PC, with the console storage specs unknown, so it’s a good idea to pre-load the game if you want to play immediately without waiting on download speeds and servers.
Pre-loading is available officially on both Steam and the game’s solo client right now, you can click here for the Steam link or right here for the official client download page. Pre-loading is not officially available on consoles, but it has been noticed that searching for the game on the Xbox mobile app allows you to pre-install the game to your console, but note this is not an intended pre-load so launch day may require additional downloads.
When Can I Play Marvel Rivals? What Are The Release Times?
Marvel Rivals will have a global release, meaning there’s one set time that across the globe will mark the launch of Marvel Rivals on all platforms. Starting from the earlier timezone, Marvel Rivals will release at on Dec. 5 at 4PM PST, 7PM EST for those in the Americas, and at midnight on Dec. 6 UTC, 1 AM CET, 9AM JST.
We wanted to make it easy to track when the game launches in your region, so click here to see a countdown until Marvel Rivals releases in specifically your region. The link works for anyone anywhere, so feel free to share it with your gaming buddies.
Launch Content: What Heroes Are In Marvel Rivals?
The roster of Marvel Rivals will contain 33 heroes at launch, and we’re going to list them all in alphabetical order so you can look for your favourites.
- Adam Warlock
- Black Panther
- Black Widow
- Captain America
- Cloak and Dagger
- Doctor Strange
- Groot
- Hawkeye
- Hela
- Hulk
- Iron Fist
- Iron Man
- Jeff the Land Shark
- Loki
- Luna Snow
- Magik
- Magneto
- Mantis
- Moon Knight
- Namor
- Peni Parker
- Psylocke
- Punisher
- Rocket Raccoon
- Scarlet Witch
- Spider-Man
- Squirrel Girl
- Star-Lord
- Storm
- Thor
- Venom
- Winter Soldier
- Wolverine
Every hero will be playable immediately, with no upfront cost or time necessary to unlock characters – you get them all straight away. The same will also apply to all future hero releases, so you can take as long as you need to figure out who you’d like to main.
Launch Content: Is There A Marvel Rivals Battle Pass? How Does It Work?
Yes, Marvel Rivals does use a Battle Pass system, and when the game releases there will be one available. The Battle Pass will work similar to games like Fortnite or Call of Duty, where tokens (known as Chrono Tokens in Marvel Rivals) are earned through quests and events and then redeemed on rewards. There is a free and a premium tier on the Battle Pass, so all players can earn rewards – and Battle Passes will not expire so once purchased you can work on them for as long as you like in future.
The launch season will be shorter than usual, meaning it will contain less rewards and have a lower price. Known as the Season 0 Battle Pass, it will contain five hero costumes and cosmetics related to these five heroes – the free tier will only come with one epic-quality hero costume and a few other unknown items.
Launch Content: How Does Marvel Rivals Monetization Work?
There will be two currencies in Marvel Rivals. Units (blue) are a free currency that can be earned through, achievements, events and the Battle Pass. Lattice (gold) are a premium currency which can only be obtained through cash purchases. Importantly, lattice can be exchanged 1:1 for units, meaning you can convert currencies easily to purchase selected items.
The standard price of 100 Lattice in US Dollars is $0.99 per 100. Purchasing more will reward more however, meaning $99.99 will provide 11,680 lattice. Prices may very per region based on currency and potential conversion rates.
Skins will cost units, with bundles containing five items ranging from 1,600-2,400 units depending on rarity. Costumes/skins can also be purchased individually for a lower rate, but bundles provide the biggest discounts. The Battle Pass will cost lattice, with the half-price and half-size launch season costing 490 lattices. In sum, let’s look at some official pricing examples.
- The Season 0 Battle Pass costs $5
- Future full-length Battle Passes will cost $10
- Cosmetic bundles start at roughly $15, and go up to approx $25 (individual items will be cheaper)
Launch Content: Are There Marvel Rivals Twitch Drops?
Yes! There will be Twitch Drops available for Marvel Rivals, and their availability times start at the same time Marvel Rivals launches and ends on Dec. 31. The rewards for watching eligible Twitch content are as follows:
- Watching 30 mins rewards a Magneto ‘Will of Galacta’ spray
- Watching one hour rewards a Magneto ‘Will of Galacta’ nameplate
- Watching two hours rewards a Magneto ‘Cosmic Collapse’ emote
- Watching four hours rewards a Magneto ‘Will of Galacta’ costume
There will also be a limited time festive Twitch Drop running from Dec. 20-Dec. 29 where watching one hour of Marvel Rivals Twitch content will reward a Winter Stockings spray.
That’s pretty much everything we know about Marvel Rivals right now, so we hope you’re feeling prepared to face the launch of the game and all that comes with it! Leave any lingering comments in the questions below, and stay tuned to GameLuster for more gaming news, guides and Marvel Rivals coverage.
