In Season 1, Marvel Rivals accomplished the rare feat of significantly growing its player base from an already popular free-to-play release by delivering exciting new content and heroes.
Season 2 has the chance to prove that their post-launch success wasn’t just a one-time fluke, that there’s much more in the tank for Marvel Rivals, and that players can trust seasonal updates will be substantial and worthwhile.
After some time with the early access version of the Season 2 update, it’s safe to say that NetEase has done just that. From new content like Emma Frost and the Krakoa map to a revision of how battle pass missions work, Marvel Rivals has only gotten better since launch.
If you’re looking for one competitive multiplayer title to invest time in and play with your friends, there is no better bet than Marvel Rivals right now.
Snow Queen Mind Control
Emma Frost’s reveal is what really pulled in interest for Season 2, she was pretty much all you saw on social media in the hours following her announcement.
And, while her character design is a big part of this interest (you can read my down bad dissertation for more info on why that was so effective), does her gameplay live up to the hype?
Yes. Emma Frost has a good chance of completely changing the Tank meta and emerging as an immediate S-tier pick.
Her ability to flip from a defensive poke-based shield Tank, to a hard-engage, incredibly bulky frontliner with an actual one-shot combo is something that will give skilled players a ton of agency over games.
But there’s more to it than that; Emma Frost has a high likelihood of fixing the Tank role and players’ lack of interest in it on her own. And this isn’t just because of people wanting to play her.
While she’ll likely receive nerfs in the weeks following her launch, Emma isn’t easy to pilot. Succeeding with her requires you to learn how to master both her melee and ranged playstyles, as well as when to swap between them.
This may sound intimidating, but the biggest win here is that anyone who wants to play Emma Frost because of how she looks or her satisfying melee combos will come away from it a better Tank player in general.
Emma Frost is more than just a good character, she’s an onboarding ramp for Marvel Rivals’ least popular role that’ll make people who play her better at other Tank heroes by proxy.
However, the other main aspect of Season 2 that really makes it stand out is the changes to the mission structure and live service elements.
Respecting the player’s time
Though Marvel Rivals’ is a bit friendlier than the competition in how often it gives away free, high-quality skins and keeps Battle Passes around in perpetuity, the challenge structure before Season 2 was inherently flawed.
Missions would often require you to do a certain amount of damage or healing with heroes you may have no interest in playing whatsoever, or would be related to teammates playing certain heroes and interacting with them. There was a lot of needless friction with the grind that included elements entirely out of the player’s control.
Now, not only have weekly missions been added, but the structure of these challenges has been drastically widened in scope.
Now, players get rewarded for simply playing the game. Dealing damage, healing damage, getting kills; these are pretty much the only things you’ll have to worry about aside from event-specific challenges now.
If you’re someone who only wants to play a few heroes, that’s now an option. Progression being gated by having to pick specific characters you have no interest in playing is no longer an issue.
NetEase GamesPretty much any time you open Marvel Rivals, you’re grinding toward something. And a lot of the friction getting removed from that only makes it smoother.
If you’re someone who can only play a few times a week, or if you’ve only got an hour or two a day to play matches, you’ll be able to get through the bulk of Seasonal content with relatively little effort.
So, while Emma Frost and the new content are a huge part of what makes Season 2 great, the refinement of their challenge structure and wealth of new cosmetics players can earn for free reveals a refreshingly simple structure.
It feels as if many other live service titles do everything they can to hold onto you and guilt you into FOMO. Marvel Rivals knows it’s good enough to be worth playing and doesn’t feel the need to load itself with predatory and grindy game systems.
A nearly flawless season
There are a few small gripes I had during my time with Season 2. The Iron Man buffs seem a bit unnecessary considering he was already strong before, and nerfing Captain America despite his status as a low tier tank is questionable even if he’s got a shiny new team-up.
However, most balance changes like the Winter Soldier nerfs were much-needed and have landed the majority of the cast in a better spot than before. This, along with a wealth of new content and well-placed quality of live changes make Marvel Rivals better than ever.
Ultimately, if you were holding out on Marvel Rivals and questioning whether or not it was popular due to being a good game or a Marvel property, Season 2 proves that it’s worth investing in for the long haul. Especially considering we can expect a new hero every month now.
If NetEase can keep this up, Marvel Rivals will be at the top of the competitive multiplayer market for years to come.
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