The Marvel universe is a treasure trove for fans, with over six decades of rich stories, thousands of characters, a variety of superhero teams, captivating story arcs, legendary locations, and numerous alternate realities each adding their own twist to the formula. Despite it still being early days, Marvel Rivals has already impressed by capturing and respecting the breadth of the Marvel universe.
In its inaugural season, Marvel Rivals boasts a selection of 35 characters, with two more slated for release soon. The game’s roster is drawn from all across the Marvel multiverse: it brings together icons like the Avengers, X-Men, the Brotherhood of Mutants, The Fantastic Four, and several others. However, there’s an element of Marvel Rivals that also serves as a bittersweet reminder of a shelved Marvel initiative.
Initially created for the game Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions in 2010, the Web of Life and Destiny links the multiverse and is intrinsically connected to the “Spider-Totems” – individuals across different universes who have received powers from a radioactive spider bite. This multiversal network plays a key role in Marvel Rivals, a nod to the concept’s importance in Spider-Verse lore from Marvel comics.
Played over two futuristic Tokyo 2099 maps, this network becomes the core of the game’s narrative. Players must either guide Spider-Zero to mend a time distortion or assist the Master Weaver in harnessing the rift’s energy for the Web of Life and Destiny. Moreover, Marvel Rivals allows gamers to step into the shoes of Spider-Man’s Peter Parker and Peni Parker, both key Spider-Totems. While Venom doesn’t fit the Spider-Totem mold exactly, he gets honorary membership, with all three boasting varied voice line exchanges that touch on the wider Spider-Verse.
Yet, while there’s joy in seeing the Spider-Verse brought to life in gaming, it does reopen some old wounds for Spider-Man enthusiasts. Back in December 2023, a damaging hack of Insomniac Games led to a leak suggesting they were working on a multiplayer Spider-Verse spin-off, going by the name “Spider-Man: The Great Web.”
Shortly after this leak, it came out that Insomniac had already shelved this potential Spider-Verse multiplayer adventure. The cancellation didn’t sting too much at first, given that its existence was only rumored. But when leaked trailers for “Spider-Man: The Great Web” circulated online by March 2024, fans fully realized what might have been—a multiplayer Spider-Verse title, and some started lamenting its loss.
Insomniac Games has traditionally excelled at single-player, story-driven creations, so dropping a large-scale, live-service Spider-Man game is possibly a wise move. Still, one can’t help but ponder the incredible opportunity a multiplayer Spider-Verse could have represented for Insomniac’s Spider-Man world.
Marvel Rivals, a blend of fast-paced action and team coordination, invites players to choose from a range of Marvel heroes and villains and dive into exhilarating 6v6 matches with varying game dynamics. With a constantly evolving universe, players are treated to new heroes, diverse maps, and endless tactical possibilities, ensuring every game session is a distinct adventure. Whether coordinating special Team-Up skills or utilizing environment destruction for an edge, Marvel Rivals lets you experience the Marvel universe in a fresh, interactive way.
