Highlights
- Marvel Rivals debuts with hype, showcasing iconic Marvel characters in a 6v6 arena game, drawing Overwatch influence.
- Alpha test for Marvel Rivals begins May 10, offering 19 characters, 3 maps, and various game modes for lucky fans to try.
- Game modes in Alpha test include tutorial, quick match, competitive, pocket universe, and custom lobbies with friends.
Announced right at the end of March, Marvel Rivals‘ debut trailer garnered quite a bit of hype, showcasing an array of iconic Marvel heroes and villains duking it out in a 6v6 multiplayer arena game. Marvel Rivals is wearing its Overwatch influences on its sleeve, but that’s far from a bad thing. After all, it’s about time the hero shooter genre saw some actual superheroes join the fray.
Marvel Rivals‘ announcement went down well with most fans, and developer/publisher NetEase has been smart to capitalize on and maintain that initial wave of hype by releasing a handful of short trailers spotlighting certain maps and playable characters. But by far the most exciting Marvel Rivals development is its Alpha test, which begins on May 10 and runs up until May 20, giving 30,000 lucky fans their first opportunity to try out the new Marvel multiplayer title. And there’s quite a bit for Alpha testers to look forward to, with 19 playable characters, three maps, and a slew of different game modes and game types to explore.
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Every Game Mode in Marvel Rivals’ Closed Alpha
During its limited-time closed Alpha test, Marvel Rivals will have a total of five different game modes, all of which will look pretty familiar to fans of other hero shooters like Overwatch. The five game modes in Marvel Rivals‘ Alpha test are:
- Tutorial – Learn the basics of the game alongside Galacta
- Quick Match – Complete mission objectives and defeat the enemy team using any of the Alpha test’s 19 heroes
- Competitive – Players are tasked with rising through the competitive ranks by winning matches
- Pocket Universe – Spawn at alternating locations and eliminate as many players as possible
- Custom – Create lobbies for matches with friends
For this being Marvel Rivals‘ first public test, the game modes on offer are surprisingly extensive. Normally, Alpha tests for multiplayer titles usually only include some form of short tutorial and quick play, but Marvel Rivals is offering much more right out of the gate, including the ability to set up custom lobbies with friends, and a “Pocket Universe” mode that seems to offer a more traditional multiplayer “deathmatch” kind of experience.
It’s also quite surprising that Marvel Rivals‘ Alpha test will include competitive multiplayer, but what’s even more intriguing is that Marvel Rivals is hosting a fully-fledged competitive tournament during the Alpha test. Called the “Dawn of Legends” tournament, players invited to the Marvel Rivals Alpha test can participate in this early competition, and potentially earn a sizable cash prize of $22,500.
It seems as though NetEase is trying to make this Alpha test as big as it can be and make it feel like an unmissable experience right off the bat. To help build hype even more, Marvel Rivals is releasing additional codes for players who earn specific in-game milestones, encouraging them to get their friends exclusive access.
Every Game Type in Marvel Rivals’ Closed Alpha
- Convoy
- Domination
- Convergence
When it comes to actual game types inside of Marvel Rivals‘ Alpha test game modes, fans will have three different ones available to them. At this time, these game types haven’t been fully detailed, but it seems likely that Convoy will see one team of six attempt to push their payload across the map while the other team tries to prevent them, and Domination will probably be a mode that sees both teams fighting for control of a specific point on the map.