Marvel Rivals dataminers suspect developers are playfully misleading them with lists of potential future characters hidden within the game's code. However, NetEase and Marvel maintain they have more pressing priorities—namely, the ongoing development of the game itself.
Last month, dataminers began revealing names of potential future heroes discovered in Marvel Rivals' code. The initial excitement surrounding these discoveries, particularly after the Fantastic Four's confirmation, quickly shifted as the list expanded. A theory emerged suggesting some names were intentionally misleading, planted by the developers.
Currently, the community remains divided on the authenticity of the datamined characters.
We recently questioned Marvel Rivals producer Weicong Wu and Marvel Games executive producer Danny Koo about this potential "elaborate troll." While they denied any intentional deception, they advised caution when interpreting the code's contents. Wu explained: "Firstly, we don't recommend altering game files. Each character's design undergoes a complex process involving concepts, trials, prototypes, and development. Some information might remain in the code, representing explored directions—these may or may not appear in future plans. Their inclusion depends heavily on player expectations."
Koo added, "A ten-year plan would be ideal, but the team experiments with various play styles and heroes. It's like someone leaving a notebook of scratch work, and a dataminer finding it without context." When directly asked about intentional trolling, Koo stated, "No. We prefer to focus on developing the game."
The process of selecting new characters was also discussed. Updates are planned roughly a year in advance, maintaining a release pace of approximately one new character every six weeks. NetEase prioritizes balancing the game and roster variety when selecting characters, creating a list of potential additions. Wu highlighted NetEase's strategy: focusing on adding new characters and experiences rather than extensively tweaking existing ones. This approach aims to maintain freshness, address weaknesses, support existing characters, and counter overpowered ones.
This list of possibilities is then presented to Marvel Games for initial design reviews. Community excitement and upcoming Marvel plans (films, comics) are also considered, ultimately shaping the final decision. This process explains the extensive list of heroes in the code—a reflection of NetEase's ongoing brainstorming.
Marvel Rivals launched successfully, and each new character enhances the game's appeal. The Human Torch and The Thing are slated to join the roster on February 21. We also discussed the potential for a Nintendo Switch 2 release (details available elsewhere).
