Gameplay modifications, additions leave latest release ‘rivalling’ past installment

Another season of Marvel Rivals has been released, and the game continues to flourish as it glides into its second season. Centering around the annual Hellfire Gala on the mutant nation of Krakoa, heroes and villains alike are invited to enjoy the festivities in light of the multiversal madness sparking the events of the game, only to be interrupted by the rogue A.I.- Ultron. Yet, as this second season kicks off, what exactly is Marvel Rivals adding to keep players interested?

One of the most evident additions to this season is telepath Emma Frost. Initially seen as a villain who faced off against the X-Men during the famous “Dark Phoenix Saga,” she has grown to fit the role of a hero, becoming a core figure on the X-Men roster and even leading the team on occasion. In terms of translating her abilities into a playable character, most notably her telepathy as well as her secondary mutation of transforming her body into a nearly unbreakable diamond state, she joins the likes of the equally tough as stone Thing and mutant revolutionary Magneto in the Vanguard category. 

Frost’s main element in her gameplay is the fact that she switches between her diamond and regular forms. Diamond is mainly used to deal more physical damage and absorb punishment, with the attacks she performs mainly being melee attacks. Yet, in her normal form she shoots out a telepathic pulse that does quick rapid damage, while also being able to send out a shield and being more focused on protecting her team. Frost’s ultimate ability is called psionic seduction where she unleashes a ray of psychic energy as she draws her enemies closer to her, and most likely, to their death.

Following the developers’ recent promise of adding one new character per month, the main antagonist of this newest chapter of the Rivals world will also be joining the roster around the midpoint of the season. Though existing for the better part of a century, Ultron’s popularity has grown in recent years, featured most prominently in the MCU’s Avengers: Age of Ultron. Though little is known about Ultron and his playstyle, early leaks have indicated he will be joining the Strategist class, with fans excited to see another “true” villain finally added to the ever-expanding catalog.

 A few more team up abilities were added to the game as well, changing the meta once more in order to juice up team combinations. One of these include a team-up between Doctor Strange and Scarlet Witch, allowing her to release a series of mini-attacks through small portals, ultimately giving an upgrade to her already powerful main attack. In addition to this, Marvel’s own dynamic duo of Bucky Barnes and Captain America are now able to launch into one another, creating a shockwave of red, white, and blue, dealing damage to surrounding hostiles. Fittingly, the final team up that was added to the game was one between Frost, Magneto, and Psylocke, where the Diamond Diva aides her fellow mutants to conjure holographic clones of the two other heroes, mimicking their attacks. 

To coincide with the core gameplay and theme changes, a few quality-of-life updates have also been added, with changes to the way the game’s cosmetics function. To be more uniform with other popular contenders, players have been granted the ability to gift their friends or followers skins. On the other hand, Rivals has introduced yet another in-game currency with its introduction of color customization, joining the ranks of the game’s already pre existing currencies. While at launch there are only four costumes available to alter using the aforementioned “Unstable Molecules,” NetEase is bound to make more available as time goes on.

Ultimately, the season two update for Marvel Rivals is quite promising as it sets out a roadmap for the seasons to come, while still expanding the differing lineups and strategies teams will use to succeed. Marvel Rivals trajectory seems sanguine, manifesting an agency for growth and flourishment as time marches on.

by Jacob Stinski

Published April 28th, 2025

Oshkosh West Index Volume 121 Issue VII