Marvel Rivals dataminers suspect the developers are playfully misleading them with lists of potential future characters hidden within the game's code. However, NetEase and Marvel claim their focus lies on game development, not elaborate pranks.
Last month, dataminers uncovered names of potential heroes within the game's code, some of which were quickly confirmed with the official announcement of the Fantastic Four. However, as more names surfaced, speculation arose that some were intentionally misleading additions.
Currently, the community remains divided on the authenticity of these datamined characters.
We directly asked Marvel Rivals producer Weicong Wu and Marvel Games executive producer Danny Koo about this alleged "troll." While denying any deliberate deception, they advised caution in interpreting the code's contents. Wu explained that the development process involves numerous concepts, trials, and prototypes, leaving remnants in the code that may or may not reflect future plans. The ultimate decision depends on player expectations and desired gameplay experiences.
Koo likened the situation to finding an unfinished notebook filled with brainstorming notes. He emphasized their preference for focusing on active game development rather than elaborate misdirection. When directly asked about intentional trolling, Koo stated definitively, "No. We would rather spend our time developing the actual game."
Our conversation also delved into the character selection process. Updates are planned roughly a year in advance, aiming for a new character release every month and a half. NetEase prioritizes balancing the roster and adding variety, creating a list of potential additions based on needed skill sets and character types. Their strategy focuses on adding new characters rather than extensively tweaking existing ones, aiming to maintain freshness and address potential imbalances.These suggestions are then presented to Marvel Games, considering community enthusiasm and alignment with Marvel's broader plans (films, comics, etc.). This explains the extensive list of heroes in the code—a reflection of NetEase's ongoing brainstorming and exploration.
Marvel Rivals launched successfully, and each new character enhances the game. The Human Torch and The Thing are slated to join the roster on February 21st. We also discussed the potential for a Nintendo Switch 2 release (details available in a separate article).
