Marvel Rivals is on the cusp of its third season, boasting even more upcoming content and exciting additions to the game’s story. Unfortunately, it seems like the game might be about to make a huge mistake with regard to one character, and it’s a misstep that Marvel Rivals has made once before.
One thing that sets Marvel Rivals apart from other hero shooters is its commitment to its overarching narrative. While many games of the genre, such as Overwatch or Apex Legends, have tons of lore hiding in the background or shown in cinematic trailers, Marvel Rivals goes one step further, using each season of the game to expand its story. For players who might have missed it, the story behind Marvel Rivals surrounds Doctor Doom and his 2099 counterpart causing the Timestream Entanglement, which fused together many diverse timelines from throughout the Marvel multiverse. The next season is set to bring Knull into the picture, but his role in the fight may be relegated to that of an onlooker for the foreseeable future.
Marvel Rivals Leak Suggests It's Adding a Feature Straight Out of Overwatch
A Marvel Rivals leak seems to tease a feature that may be coming in a future update, which longtime Overwatch player may find familiar.
Knull’s Marvel Rivals Plotline has Excellent Potential that Might Go Unseen
Recent teases for Marvel Rivals season 3 have hinted at the arrival of Knull as a new spotlight villain. In the comics, Knull is the creator of all symbiotes, like Venom and Carnage, and is often considered to be a father to the whole species. His story in Marvel Rivals will supposedly see him targeting Groot in order to use his powers to enhance new symbiotes. As the main villain of the season, and even a force powerful enough to rival Doctor Doom, it stands to reason that his name and face will be all over Marvel Rivals in the upcoming months. However, if current rumors are to be believed, he’s not planned to become playable in the game during the next season.
Despite the obvious opportunity to add a much-needed villain to the Marvel Rivals roster, there seem to be no current plans for Knull to join the fray. Based on a recently leaked list of upcoming Marvel Rivals characters, he doesn’t appear to be in development at all. Of course, all leaks and rumors are just possibilities, and should not be considered true unless confirmed through official channels, but leading theories suggest that the next two playable heroes will be Jean Grey and Captain Marvel. Despite Knull's seasonal relevance, the list seems to suggest that the development team is focusing on the X-Men and other mutants instead.
It's possible that one of the leaked in-development characters, currently only identified as an 'unknown tank', could become Knull. His size and power set would make him a good candidate for a tank character, but nothing has yet suggested that to be the case.
Marvel Rivals Might Not Learn from its Mistakes
This type of news may sound familiar to longtime Marvel Rivals players, as it’s not the first time that the game has let a clear opportunity for a new hero slip through its fingers. Back in the vampire-themed first season of the game, the story saw the heroes facing off against Dracula, and Marvel’s famous vampire hunter, Blade, got more than a few shout-outs. It was believed at the time that Marvel Rivals was teasing Blade as a playable hero, but two seasons later, he still hasn’t been added to the roster.
Rumors have been making the rounds that he’s one of the characters in development, but when he does finally arrive, it might feel like he was late to the party. Similarly, if Knull is the unannounced tank character believed to be in development, but doesn’t appear in the season devoted to his plan, NetEase Games runs the risk of players questioning why he’s returned in a smaller role after his main event season.
Marvel Rivals is a live service game, meaning that it is continually in development. The most recent Marvel Rivals update on June 12 added a new game mode and free character skins, showing that developers are still trying to delight players with new content. Only time will tell how Knull’s season unfolds, but hopefully Marvel Rivals has learned from its past.
Marvel Rivals
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 78 /100 Critics Rec: 84%
- Released
- December 6, 2024
- ESRB
- T For Teen // Violence
- Developer(s)
- NetEase Games
- Publisher(s)
- NetEase Games
WHERE TO PLAY
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 5
- Genre(s)
- Third-Person Shooter, Action, Multiplayer
