Marvel Rivals is only just getting started, as the hit shooter confirmed its Season 1 release date and gameplay details.
From Chinese developer NetEase Games, Rivals puts the "hero" in hero shooter, taking on the likes of Valorant and Overwatch by offering a Marvel-themed take on the competitive multiplayer genre.
Like other ongoing games before, Marvel Rivals will constantly evolve its online offering over time, evolving with new content seasons every few months. These seasons will bring with them gameplay changes, never-before-seen skins, and even a new hero or two to add to the game's roster of playable Marvel characters.
When Will Marvel Rivals Season 1 Release?
Since its release, fans have been playing Marvel Rivals in what has come to be known as the game's Season 0, that will all change in a matter of days as Season 1 kicks off.
Exact release specifics for Marvel Rivals Season 1 have not been made public, but it is expected to get started sometime on Friday, January 10, 2025.
Fans have noted that the Season 0 battle pass is set to expire at 6 a.m. UTC (1 a.m. ET) on January 10, likely indicating that the Season 1 launch will come sometime shortly after that.
Typically these battle pass timers have been good indicators of when a new content drop may be coming to an ongoing game such as Rivals. However, seeing as this is the first official season launch for the game, one cannot definitively say that will be the game for the super-powered shooter.
According to a developer diary from December 2024, Marvel Rivals seasons are said to last around three months, with Season 0 being a short appetizer to the more substantive Season 1 set for January 10.
If that three-month plan is still something the game will follow, that means fans can likely expect to play Season 1 well into 2025, with an end date likely. coming sometime in early April.
Ultron and Mr. Fantastic Are Likely to Release in Season 1
The number one question on the minds of many heading into Marvel Rivals' Season 1 will be what new character (if any) will join the game's roster of playable heroes.
Thus far in Rivals' early life, fans have started to figure out specific strategies and what characters may be better than others (read our Marvel Rivals character ranking here), but that foundation is sure to be shaken up as new heroes join in on the fun.
For starters, the entire Fantastic Four will make their Rivals' debut in Season 1! Marvel Rivals' confirmed that the Fantastic Four (Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Johnny Storm, and Ben Grim) will release in Season 1 this morning, with a trailer debuting the 4 coming on January 6th at 8:00 AM PST / 16:00 UTC.
For a full breakdown of everything we know about the Fantastic Four's abilities and roles in Marvel Rivals, check out our guide here!
Season 1 will also debut a new map, which can be seen in the background of the promotional image above. This map is believed to be a vampire-infected New York map, which could indicate that the vampire hunter Blade is also set to debut in Season 1. Blade is one of the 12 leaked Marvel Rivals characters.
The dastardly A.I. Ultron is also all but guaranteed to arrive as a part of the Season 1 festivities, with a full move set and various pieces of character art appearing online (via X (formerly Twitter)).
In fact, according to one well-known Marvel Rivals leaker, Ultron was initially planned as a launch-day inclusion but was pulled at the last second, making his introduction in Season 1 all the more likely.
Marvel Rivals' Next Event Will Crossover into Season 1
With Marvel Rivals' first event of 2025 already announced, fans may be confused about how Season 1 plays into that.
Well, it turns out, that the game's new content season will overlap somewhat with the ongoing crossover event with Marvel mobile titles Marvel Snap, Marvel Puzzle Quest, and Marvel Future Fight.
Marvel Rivals crossover event runs starting on January 3, 2025, and will likely include in-game challenges in each of the partnered titles that will grant the player rewards in Marvel's new free-to-play shooter.
An exact end date for the game's next event has not been specified, but one can assume that it will overlap with Season 1 somewhat, running alongside the larger content drop.
Will New Maps Release in Marvel Rivals Season 1?
No new maps have been confirmed to drop with Marvel Rivals Season 1, but several have leaked in recent weeks, meaning a new in-game battleground could be on the way.
A December 2024 leak included three new maps seemingly set to come to the game including the pair of X-Men-themed islands Krakoa and Arakko, as well as the Big Apple itself, New York City.
While all three are not likely to be released with the new season at the same time, at least one will likely join the game's rotation at some point during the season.
Leakers have also found information of a potential new game mode on the way for Marvel Rivals, something that very well could debut alongside Season 1 (via MRivalsUpdates on X).
This new game mode is seemingly a take on "Capture the Flag" where teams must secure an object (typically a flag) in enemy territory before trying to make it back to their own objective to win.
What New Skins Will Be Added in Marvel Rivals Season 1?
Marvel Rivals has not been shy in offering fans opportunities to spruce up their in-game characters with plenty of exciting skins, and Season 1 does not look like it is going to buck that trend.
Thus far in Rivals' young life, the game has released plenty of exciting, new skins (like the stellar line of MCU-themed looks), allowing players to add a bit of their personal touch to the game's lineup of 33 super-powered characters.
Season 1 will surely bring even more of these purchasable cosmetics, as these a la carte skins (along with the in-game battle pass) remain the only way the free-to-play title can make money.
Plenty of skins have leaked in anticipation of Season 1, but it is unknown whether these will all be made available during the game's first season or if some will be saved for later.
Some of these leaked skins have included a silver-haired purple Magik, a devil-themed Scarlet Witch, and a rusted metallic Groot skin. These skins — among others — will likely be a part of the upcoming Season 1 battle pass, while also being made available as a one-time purchase in Marvel Rivals' in-game store.
Marvel Rivals is now available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
